The Mountains Fall/Holiday 2022

The

Resurrection Of John Bartle

By Hal Rubenstein

Photography by Fahnon Benne Andrea Westerlind

By Jane Larkworthy Photography by Natalie Chitwood

By Kevin Sessums

–John Bartlett JACKIE AND JANE VASSAR ICONS

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As we all brace for the winter ahead, The Mountains’ strives to warm your soul with some of the amazing makers and places we feature inside this beautiful issue of your favorite magazine. Let’s begin.

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Art by Jan Kallwejt exclusively for The Mountains

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ort rin s har on o th o ith hi h- rfor in , r lia l n as -to- aintain stainl t l a lianc . Learn more at forteappliances.com

animal house The chic and whimsical charms found at gri n in Great Barrington.

Photograph by MATTHEW SUSSMAN

Alan Katz FOUNDER | CEO

Richard

Pérez-Feria EDITOR IN CHIEF

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kathleen Gates

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Rebecca Hardiman

MANAGING EDITOR James Long

PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Erika Phenner

COPY CHIEF | RESEARCH DIRECTOR Sarah Carpenter

ASSOCIATE EDITOR | SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Isabel Hochman

MANAGING EDITOR, DIGITAL Mia Cárdenas

DESIGNER Linda Gates

EDITORS AT LARGE Jane Larkworthy, Hal Rubenstein, Kevin Sessums

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Toni Gerunda

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Anthony Giglio, Bill Henning, Marco Medrano Todd Plummer, Tara Solomon, Heather Thomson

WRITERS Abbe Aronson, Alexis Auleta, Jonah Bayliss

Jennifer Cook, Martha Frankel, Renee Jermaine Sandy MacDonald, Sean McAlindin

Robyn Perry Coe, Jack Rico, Terry Rosen Mitch Rustad, Dee Salomon, Zac Thornberry

PHOTOGRAPHERS | ARTISTS Peter Aaron, Fahnon Bennett, Antoine Bootz

Natalie Chitwood, Julia Clark, Sean Davidson Bryan Derballa, Jan Kallwejt, Eric Limon Jonathan Mehring, Ashley Miiles, Michael O’Neal Robert Risko, Matthew Sussman

EXECUTIVE SALES DIRECTOR Amy Smith ACCOUNT MANAGER Lee Posner

FINANCE AND OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Caryn Whitman

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CANADA SALES DIRECTORS Lori Dodd, Bob Dodd DODD MEDIA GROUP

PRODUCTION Digital Workflow Solutions PUBLIC RELATIONS Abbe Aronson ABBE DOES IT

THE MOUNTAINS is published six times a year by MountainView Media 1 LLC

Volume 1, No.2 • Fall | Holiday 2022 Copyright © 2022 MountainView Media 1 LLC All rights reserved

Fahnon Bennett

COVER STORY: JOHN BARTLETT

The Brooklyn-based lmmaker and award-winning photographer makes it his mission to capture humanity, humor and soul in his work, in full display for the cover story on fashion designer John Bartlett. “Photographing Bartlett in his home with his dogs and particularly his designs made it that much easier to personalize the image and capture his impressive story.” Bennett was the longtime in-house photographer and videographer at Douglas Elliman Real Estate based in New York City.

THE team

Natalie Chitwood

MAKER: ANDREA WESTERLIND

“It’s always a great photoshoot when I can get barefoot and climb in a boat!” Chitwood, whose images have appeared on the pages of The New York Times’ T Magazine and Dwell, photographed outdoor apparel master Andrea Westerlind at her stunning Berkshires estate as the outdoorswoman shed, kept bees and frolicked with her baby.

Mira Peck

THE EXPERT: GARDEN

A professional horticulturist and oral designer, Peck is especially passionate about ecology and designing with native plants. “I see the garden as a performance unfolding over time, a source of inspiration in all seasons.” She’s also a graduate of the School of Professional Horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden.

Todd Plummer

STREET: GREAT BARRINGTON

Plummer’s fashion stories, which have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Vogue, has led the writer on untold adventures, from dinner at Martha Stewart’s Hamptons home to curling up with Gisele Bündchen on her sofa. “It’s been so interesting seeing how Great Barrington and other towns have evolved,” he says. Plummer recently moved back to his native Massachusetts from New York City.

Bill Cary

THE SEARCH: REAL ESTATE

Covering real estate for more than two decades, Cary has worked for The Wall Street Journal, The Real Deal,Mansion Global and The Poughkeepsie Journal He splits his time between an old chicken farm in the Ulster County’s Stone Ridge and an apartment in NYC. “The real estate market up here has just exploded since the pandemic. It’s been fascinating to see.”

Tara Solomon

SPACES: BARNFOX

Former “Queen of the Night” nightlife columnist for The Miami Herald, Solomon is founder of TARA, Ink., a topshelf communications rm in Miami and has been published in WWD, InStyle, Food & Wine, Los Angeles, Palm Springs Life and several international editions of Vogue. Here, she pro les Barnfox cofounder Frederick Pikovsky who, not unlike the pop culturist herself, is obsessed with summer camp. “Interviewing Frederick brought back all the camp feels.”

(Chitwood) ZACH SMITH; (Plummer) LEXIE MORELAND; (Solomon) SUZY DRASNIN

JUST STEPS AWAY

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Canvas

In the summer of 1995, on one of Manhattan’s notorious humid days, my longtime business partner, George W. Slowik, Jr. and I met our next-door neighbor at the Chelsea o ce building where our newly formed magazine company, PressCorps, had established its headquarters. The only other tenant on the oor of that just-this-side-of-rundown edi ce was up-and-coming fashion designer, John Bartlett. When I popped my head in to introduce myself, Bartlett, handsome, funny, was as charming as advertised and our friendship was o to a promising start.

Not two years later, Bartlett took the fashion world by storm by winning a remarkable two CFDA awards—“Best Newcomer” and “Menswear Designer of the Year”—and, with a bolt of lightning, our sweet, neighborhood fashionista had suddenly been thrust into the NYC whirlwind reserved for only the most fabulous, zeitgeist-y “It” stars. Bartlett rode that intoxicating wave for quite a while, until it stopped. Then, things got complicated—in business, love and life.

A few years ago, in the middle of hosting an impossibly chic dinner party high above Gotham on a trendy hotel roo op, I realized just how many fashion, interior, jewelry and magazine designers I counted among my close friends, many of them in attendance that evening. As a creative myself—I’ve been the top editor for dozens of magazines including People en Español, Out, ELLIMAN, Cannabis Now—it’s fairly clear why I’m drawn to right-brain dreamers. Still… the excitement I get from facing a blank canvas and creating something relevant, something memorable, something undeniable from scratch is a particular skill I’ll always seek in the people I most want around me.

In 2006, a er yet another delirious late night at LA’s historic Chateau Marmont with my wellmoisturized friends—celeb interior designer Thom Filicia among them—my group relocated the evening’s shenanigans to my new home a few blocks away on the very day I had moved in (the building, coincidentally, was designed by the Chateau’s architect, William Douglas Lee).

Within seconds of entering my home, lled to the brim with unopened moving boxes, the Queer Eye OG sketched the apartment’s decorating story—down to the last detail—on the back of a cocktail napkin. In less than three minutes, the rst- oor design was complete and it was as unexpected as it was genius. I carefully followed Thom Filicia’s sketch and to this day, I still get compliments on the memorable aesthetic of my quasi-legendary West Hollywood crib.

Those who’ve worked with me realize fairly quickly I’m an editor in chief who unapologetically emphasizes design in the magazines I lead. I’m also someone who’s been blessed with extraordinarily talented close friends. So, yes, John Bartlett, Thom Filicia, Kathleen Gates (The Mountains’ creative director and my longtime magazine partner), Narciso Rodríguez, Josh Warner, Beverly Tracy, Scott Avjian, Herman Vega, Matt Macdonald, Ann Dexter-Jones and many other accomplished designers have enriched my life in immeasurable ways. But yet…here I am wanting more.

You see, I believe life would be intolerable without a little assist from our fantastical friends. Even now, as I start to think about the next issue of The Mountains and how my amazing team and I get to play with another blank canvas, a familiar excitement courses through me. What, I ask, could be more thrilling, more necessary than creating something beautiful that matters? What indeed.

fashionable friends Happily reunited with award-winning designer and Marist College Fashion Program Director John Bartlett in his Rhinebeck home.

—Richard

keeping it real

Great Barrington never had the aristocratic scene of Saratoga Springs or the ostentatiousness of Newport—it was about stylish, well-heeled folks enjoying country pursuits.

life, a little bit at a time

Photography by Matthew Sussman

Photo credit: Joshua Thompson

Great Barrington’s Quiet Style

The Berkshires’ busiest town values sartorial discretion. Mum’s the word. |

By Todd Plummer Photography by Matthew Sussman exclusively for The Mountains

there’s no shortage of historic towns in the northeast, but Great Barrington occupies its own category. In a region where many towns have centuries’ worth of history, this sleepy Berkshires enclave may not be the buzziest, it may not be the oldest, it may not be the “most” in any one category, but it doesn’t need to be—it’s got serious style chops and stands in a league of its own.

Purchased by the Massachusetts General Court from the Mohican people in 1724 for £460, 3 barrels of cider and 30 quarts of rum, Great Barrington was named a er a country retreat for English aristocrats down the road from King Charles III’s home in Highgrove. Our Great Barrington soon became an important trade stop for the area. In the mid-19th century, when trains connected it to the major cities of Boston and New York, this humble village was transformed into a summertime retreat for wealthy Gilded Age city slickers, who much preferred the fresh air of the “Berkshire Cottages” to sti ing city streets.

Great Barrington never quite had the aristocratic scene of Saratoga Springs or the ostentatiousness of Newport—instead, it was all about stylish, well-heeled folks enjoying country pursuits such as gardening, horseback riding, shing and hiking. And today, the town has kept that quiet style. Go to Hudson if you want to be seen at brunch—go to Great Barrington if you don’t want to be seen at all.

Of course, even the discreet types who call Great Barrington home appreciate the quality of a well-made Barbour jacket, the durability of some Hunter gumboots, the smartness of a well- tting cashmere sweater. Because even a life lived privately, or time spent enjoying the Berkshires’ beauty should still look good, right? Right.

hidden figures

Great Barrington’s sartorial ethos is unique: Go to Hudson if you want to be seen at brunch, but go to Great Barrington if you don’t want to be seen at all.

moments | life, a little bit at a time

Jackie & Jane

From Vassar to immortality.

By James Long

“i’ve been admiring your tie.”

It was hardly a memorable line if not for the person who said it to me. I stood, napkin in hand, to ease her path as she and her dinner companion le their cozily adjacent table at Manhattan’s Café Luxembourg, a favorite restaurant of mine on the Upper West Side where I’d taken my assistant for her birthday. Half an hour earlier, the maître d’ seated us mere inches away from their table, and as my assistant settled onto their shared red banquette, I politely tried to keep my focus on her. And, yet I couldn’t help stealing glances at her

She was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, in a coordinating ecru jacket and skirt. A er her compliment (in her signature dulcet tone), I humbly replied, “Thank you,” and

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“I thought of it as an entry table or bedside tray, a little bit of an organizational thing,” says designer/leather-worker Mary L.

watched as the restaurant’s bons viveurs became a controlled study in how the brain regulates the movements of our eyes toward discrete intended targets.

Upon Mrs. Onassis’ departure, my assistant and I, both able to breathe normally again, regaled ourselves with everything “Jackie.” My earliest sighting of her had been as a mere tyke with my mother, among other hushed onlookers, behind a chain link fence near the tarmac at Andrews Air Force Base, where my father was stationed, when then-Mrs. Kennedy had returned from Dallas as a widow on Air Force One.

My assistant had gone to the same college as the former First Lady; Jacqueline Bouvier, as she was then known, attended Vassar in Poughkeepsie in the late ’40s. “And so did Jane Fonda,” my assistant reminded me. Two fashion icons, two style heavyweights, enrolled eight years apart. Jackie and Jane. First Lady and Sci-Fi’s Barbarella—embedding, if not de ning, some of the most important style moments of the 1950s and ’60s.

Chan of this elegant Slab Leather Oval Tray Oxblood, which is functional, decorative and wholly unique. The construction is slab leather, typically used for soles of shoes, which is hand dyed and re ned with a matching smooth calfskin interior and discreet tonal stitched detail.

“I don’t know anybody else who’s making a tray this way,” says Chan, owner of Bartleby Objects, who hand-makes every product with partner and frequent collaborator, Mark A. Williams, in their Brooklyn Navy Yard studio. “I like to think all of these things we make as the punctuation to each room in your house,” she says. FieldandSupply.com $320

As it happened, neither alum ended up graduating from Vassar, but had they, I have no doubt that the consummate trendsetters would’ve worn their gowns, mortarboards and tassels with the utmost panache. Much like I sported that tie.

Farnsworth Fine Accessories Set in Silver + Gold

“The set was designed with the intention to celebrate cannabis, in the same way cigar smokers have long had elegant and functional accessories for their enjoyment,” says Alexander Farnsworth, founder of Farnsworth Fine Cannabis in Great Barrington.

The aptly named Fine Accessories Set in Silver + Gold includes a match box cover, cigarette holder, small hummingbird motif ashtray, and rolling paper holder (“One of my favorites in the set,” says Farnsworth). “It’s meant to be a travel set, but you can have it on a bedside table or living room co ee table as well,” he says.

FarnsworthFineCannabis.com $495

Moroccan Poufs

“What’s so cool about them and one of their biggest selling points is they mix in with any style of decor—modern or antique or vintage—they look great anywhere,” says Emily Irwin, of these elegant Moroccan poufs, made of real tanned leather with hand stitched embroidered detail.

The poufs come pre-stu ed or you can opt for an unstu ed one. The poufs come in tan, brown, white, black, gold, silver and aqua. Instagram.com/ HomeLoveBerkshires $170 (unstu ed); $190 (stu ed)

Jacqueline Bouvier, here with sister Lee, attended Vassar College for two years. In 1963, as First Lady, Mrs. Kennedy delivered the Commencement Address; (left) Similarly, Jane Fonda was enrolled at Vassar from 1955-57.

A Dreamy Day In Litchfield County

West Cornwall’s ‘ungardener’ shares her happiest of places. | Pictures + Words by Dee

FRIDAY, 8:45 A.M.

Morning Hike/Swim

My perfect 24 hours would be a Friday. Friday is the day of the week when I meet three of my girlfriends (four including my schnauzer Scout) for a walky kind of hike that has become, as we’ve gotten to know each other better, more of a talky kind of walk. We have a handful of favorite trails, most lined with native plants such as mountain laurel and hobblebush. When it’s too cold for the short hike and obligatory swim in Mohawk Pond we head to Dean’s Ravine in Fall’s Village or, when we feel more ambitious, to Pine Knob Loop in Sharon. Divulging these special places might be breaking some unspoken code amongst locals, but I’m all for more people experiencing the pristine woods.

FRIDAY, 11:35 A.M.

Earth Tones Native Plants

From here we drive to the southern-most corner of Litch eld County for an end-of-season plant x. It’s worth it. Earth Tones Native Plants in Woodbury is like Disneyland for native plant lovers. As with Disneyland, the nursery is divided into zones where di erent environments are created to

Salomon

show how native plantings work in terrain types such as wetlands, shaded woodland and meadow.

FRIDAY, 12:05 P.M.

Hollister House

It’s a short 15-minute drive to the gardens at Hollister House where we can see native and non-native owers, shrubs and trees living together in an exquisite setting. Even in fall it’s beautiful.

FRIDAY, 3:15 P.M.

James Barron Art

FRIDAY, 6:25 P.M.

FRIDAY, 1:20 P.M.

Lunch, Swy

I say goodbye and drive to Kent to meet my boyfriend Rob and our friend, art advisor Kim Schmidt, for a pizza at Swy . From here it’s a few steps to RT Facts, where we tour monumental architectural esoterica, whimsical indoor and outdoor furniture, planters and ornaments and cabinet-ofcuriosity delights. All to add a bit of decorative umami to one’s home style.

About ve minutes away by car is James Barron Art, a byappointment-only gallery at the end of a long entry road studded with Beverly Pepper sculptures. We’re taken through the several rooms that make up the gallery and the wooden folly nestled in the landscape; the artwork is shown alongside mid-century furnishings creating a cool, homey feeling.

Michael Trapp Home

Then to Michael Trapp, Litch eld County’s mecca of decorative treasure. My home wouldn’t be as splendidly interesting were it not for Michael’s keen and worldly eye. His shop in West Cornwall closes in December so that he can spend a few months replenishing stock which I imagine he does through a time machine that sets him on the Silk Road in an exotic location, with camels to carry back his stash.

FRIDAY, 8:15 P.M.

Dinner, Frank Food

FRIDAY, 4:35 P.M.

Jane Herold Pottery

Time to turn around and head in the direction of home and dinner but two more stops on the way add icing to the cake of my perfect day. The rst is the pottery studio of Jane Herold. Jane creates everyday items—plates, bowls, mugs—that are sturdy and elegant and have a magical ability to make food look and taste better. Restaurants all over the country (and Canada) commission her work and I’ve been adding to our collection over the years.

Time for dinner in West Cornwall at Frank Food. And frank it is: well-cra ed, straight-forward fare, fresh and tasty. All of Cornwall is seemingly here, sitting inside in cozy nooks or the communal table and, when weather permits, outside on the patio. A delicious and perfect end to the perfect day.

SATURDAY, 7:45 A.M.

Breakfast, The Smithy

We wake up hungry and head to The Smithy in New Preston has choices that are healthy and delicious. My pick is the spicy sweet Golden Milk Latte and a breakfast slider made with turkey sausage. Yes!

pepper stay The author (right) spends time at James Barron Art in Kent, CT admiring Beverly Pepper’s celebrated sculptures.

a whole new world Earth Tones Native Plants in Litch eld County just may be horticulture’s version of Disneyland.

moments | life, a little bit

THE SEARCH

Staying Put

When it comes to real estate, this region remains red hot.

By Bill Cary

at a time

of those were people who have decided to sell,” says Raj Kumar, an agent with Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty who’s based in Hudson. “It’s an exaggeration to say that people are ocking back to New York City.”

Yes, many people are going back to work in Manhattan, but they’re still keeping their country houses, he says. “It’s a very minor percentage, from my personal experience.”

as a longtime real estate writer and reporter, and like so many post-pandemic work-from-home weekenders, my two residences have ipped. The run-down former chicken and rabbit farm that my husband and I bought on eight acres in Stone Ridge 25 years ago is now our primary, and our Hell’s Kitchen co-op is mostly a pied-à-terre.

Those of us who’ve been in the Hudson Valley for a couple of decades watched with fascination—and no shortage of trepidation—as wave a er wave of New Yorkers discovered our piece of paradise during the height of the global pandemic. Could that poky $315,000 raised ranch with serious highway noise really be drawing a dozen o ers, most well over asking?

Now that we’ve all gotten used to this huge real estate boom, our next big question is, will all of these new homeowners stick around, or will they sell and retreat back to the City? Surely the newfound tribulations of four-season home ownership will send them skittering back to the Upper West Side and Williamsburg.

So far, our new neighbors aren’t going anywhere. “In the last three years, my team has had close to 150 transactions, and maybe two

Kathryn Clair, an agent with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty in Litch eld County, agrees. “People are moving back into the City, of course, but they’re keeping their houses as weekend homes.”

The ideal home that Litch eld buyers are looking for is “anything in good shape, ready to move in, something with character and under $2 million,” she says. “People are looking for the consummate Connecticut home.”

In the Hudson Valley, luxury buyers are big on “central and southern Columbia County— the city of Hudson along with Germantown and Chatham,” Kumar says. The Ulster County hamlet of Stone Ridge is “very hot now,” along with Rhinebeck and Red Hook in Dutchess County. “Millbrook has always been desirable.”

Interestingly, he says that he’s seeing a big in ux of buyers from the West Coast. And in a sure sign that the luxury market is still going strong, Kumar reports having a recent client who made an o er of $2.5 million on a $1.9 million listing in an unnamed “west of the river” community (it hasn’t closed yet). “That’s $600,000 over the asking price and we were actually third in line,” he says.

suzy doozy With a purchase price of $18.5 million, Suzy Welch’s 1851 mansion on 290 riverfront acres in Red Hook and Rhinebeck broke Dutchess County records for a single-family home.

this haus is not yet a home Stone Ridge’s highly anticipated 44-acre, woodland-rich NevelHaus custom home development inches closer to completion.

Home/Work

•The NevelHaus custom home development on 44 wooded acres just o the Main Street Historic District in Stone Ridge is moving along nicely, with multiple three-bedroom homes now going up. Construction on the houses, which are priced from $1.295 million, only begins once a buyer goes into contract and closes on the home. That usually takes up to ten months.

• Suzy Welch, General Electric CEO Jack Welch’s widow, didn’t get her asking price of $25 million, but the $18.5 million closed price on her 10-bedroom 1851 mansion on 290 riverfront acres in Red Hook and Rhinebeck breaks Dutchess County records (by a hair) for singlefamily homes. The previous high was the $18.375 million sale of a Millbrook estate in 2011. Welch’s property, which is known as Steen Valetje and has ties to Delanos, Roosevelts and Astors, includes a 16,600-square-foot main house that just got a Bunny Williams makeover, two fourbedroom guesthouses, a carriage house with four apartments, a pool house with changing rooms and showers, a two-bedroom gatehouse and extensive equestrian facilities. Candy Anderson of Millbrook and her son and fellow Compass agent Byron Anderson had both sides of the deal, which closed in September. The identity of the buyer couldn’t be determined.

•One of only two remaining buildings attributed to British-American architect Calvert Vaux (Frederic Church’s Olana estate just outside of Hudson and Manhattan’s Central Park) still standing in Ulster County has come on the market for the rst time in 45 years. The ve-bedroom shingle-style home at 194 West Chestnut Street in Kingston that overlooks the Hudson River and Kingston’s Rondout neighborhood is listed with Hayes Clement and Harris Sa er of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hudson Valley Properties for $1.5 million. Original architectural details in the restored 1893 house on 2.6 acres include side-by-side river-view parlors with marble replaces, two formal dining rooms and elaborate mahogany paneling and spindle work. Modern touches include a gunite pool with a cabana, a grand screened porch and a two-story, three-car carriage house/garage.

Smell OfSuccess

It was inevitable, wasn’t it? As if anyone needed further proof of this region’s red-hot moment, Burkelman recently launched T.H.V.F. (The Hudson Valley Fragrance). Purportedly evoking a “dense forest and smokey tones,” at $165 a bottle, this scent is nothing to turn your nose at. (We’re kind of low-key obsessed.) $165. Burkelman.com

HEAR THEM

Roar

Warm-Up Suit

This Carhartt staple personi es function By Jane Larkworthy hen you become a denizen of the area, the cold-weather must-have becomes the cold weather go-to. Freezing temps and bonechilling wind are unavoidable, so it’s best to toss all vanity out the window and focus on staying . You might not have reasons to be outside when temps drop to the single digits, but you might actually discover that you want to. And for that, I recommend the Carhartt Yukon Extremes Insulated Coverall . It’s not exactly gure attering, nor is it particularly stylish. But what it lacks in sartorial elegance it more than makes up for in function: wind resistant, water repellent, snap closures, ankle-to-thigh leg zippers with storm aps—whatever storm aps are. This tried-and-true onesie isn’t too crazy expensive at $249. Carhartt.com warm

PAPARAZZI ALERT

Celeb fave wellness retreat Ranch Malibu set to open in Tuxedo Park next summer. Totes chill.

The historic Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, MA is historic for a reason. Among their many celebrated guests, at least ve former presidents have stayed at the Berkshires HQ: Grover Cleveland, William McKinley , Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Other notable guests have included Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Thornton Wilder— even John Wayne and Bob Dylan. History just got cool. dress to impress

Baby Franklin really knows what’s stylin’ for the winter season: Carhartt onesies, all day, every day! $49 (Amazon.com)

Glamping In The Catskills

By Isabel Hochman

read all about it

Filling The Void

The Red Hook Daily Catch goes old-school in pursuit of news. Even in Ukraine. | By Rebecca Hardiman

photograph by SARAH CARPENTER

he Red Hook Daily Catch may be just an online newspaper, but it has decidedly outsized ambitions. Not only does the website aim to publish “all the news you need to live your daily life in Red Hook and Rhinebeck,” says Founding Editor Emily Sachar, but it’s equally critical raison d’être is to train the next generation of local news reporters. “We’re not trying to expand,” Sachar says. ”We’re trying to create a sustainable model in the Hudson Valley.”

The internet continues to be the death knell for many a local paper and the fallout—news deserts—hits smaller, rural towns especially hard. “We don’t know what’s happening in our schools, local environmental issues, when a new hiking trail comes online or a new toll booth,” says the veteran editor. “ The Daily Catch is plugging that hole.”

Launched in 2021, the media outlet reports on local politics, education and lifestyle (as well as its nationally recognized coverage of the Ukraine war by its on-theground correspondent Pavel Kuljuk). Sachar is particularly proud of her paper’s deep dives into special local stories, including its farmer series spotlighting the overlooked population of farm laborers.

he Maker Cafe in Hudson is known for their signature lunchtime delight, the unlikely yet mouth-watering Beet & Gin Cured Lox sandwich. “It’s de nitely a guest favorite and one of our longest-running sandwiches on the menu,” says the Euro-inspired eatery’s co-executive chef Annette Barlow.

This “ri on a classic” is popular for good reason: it’s stacked with an array of locally sourced goodies, including house-cured beets, gin lox (the trout’s from Hudson Valley Steelhead) and farmer’s cheese (from Churchtown Dairy).

Barlow rounds out her luncheon masterpiece with fresh horseradish, slightly sweet house-pickled red onions and a sprig of dill, all served up on Bartlett House Pain de Mie. Yum.

Thigh-quality s’mores, all overseen by a client experience team that was kind and accommodating. But I hear it’s just as special in the fall for leaf peeping and even into winter when AutoCamp facilitates snowshoe rentals, winter wine tours and plenty of other cool outings.

after my summer trip with friends was canceled at the last minute, I stumbled upon AutoCamp Cape Cod. a national glamping company that recently added the Catskills to its portfolio. To put it bluntly: I’m a convert. AutoCamp o ers luxury camping experiences with all the bells and whistles, such as custom-designed 31-foot Airstreams, luxury tents and modern cabins, all set amidst the natural beauty of the Catskills. The Clubhouse, situated in the center of the property, functions as a reception area and gathering place for guests, and boasts plenty of home comforts—an indoor re pit and lounge, a general store and co ee bar. Our particular summertime glamping adventure was lled with live music, bike rides, beach time and

Though lots of towns could’ve been a good t for their next store, “Hudson always felt like a natural stepping stone and a place we like to visit and explore personally,” she says. “People kept telling us how they thought there was a void in the market for the type of product we specialize in, and having moved to a home close by, made it a natural decision.”

Westerlind Opens Crown Jewel

Westerlind continues. “Bringing all the functions in-house has allowed me to be a lot more creative in really designing a store that re ects my ideas and Scandinavian heritage around minimalism, sustainability and modern design. It’s incredibly cool to be able to source all my building materials from a half-mile radius. That’s the kind of thing that makes me excited about living where I do.” We totally get it. –Isabel

Hochman

esterlind, the stylish outdoor apparel and gear boutique, is open in Hudson, with locations operating in Kingston, Great Barrington, Millerton and New York City’s SoHo. “Hudson is the nal location in our upstate retail expansion,” says founder Andrea Westerlind (for more see p.42) . “We’ve been working on this particular store for quite a while, and in many ways it’s our crown jewel.”

Want To Snow What Love Is

I

WEric and Ashley Herndon’s dream setting for their nuptials was the bucolic Race Brook Lodge in She eld, MA. Mother nature gave the happy couple a big surprise on their Halloween wedding. “Throughout the storm, the electricity stayed on until the last song,” Ashley said. “The night nished speakeasy style by candlelight with a friend playing on the piano.” Spooky? No. Perfect? Oh, yeah. –Erika Phenner

(AutoCamp)

MATT KISSADAY;

#IYKYN

Ravenwood, the busy (and buzzy) communal gathering space and farmstand/café in Kerhonkson, is closed for

the season—but not the whole season. Owner and design guru Dana McClure tells us that the creative exchange will host a holiday market the rst and third weekends of December. “Many of our guests say that our space feels like entering a home.” We’re on our way, thanks.

Sandwich bliss at The Maker Cafe

By Mitch Rustad

photography by ERIC LIMON

coming in at less than $50, Amtrak’s iconic Hudson leg of its Empire Service line isn’t only an easy, e cient travel option, but with these three tips it’ll be your most enjoyable as well.

Relax This is, unquestionably, the biggest perk of taking the train: zero responsibilities. You don’t have to worry about the tra c, or which route to take—nothing, nada, zilch. You can even

use the restroom without having to stop your journey’s progress, amazing in and of itself. And always—always— nd the café/bar car. Remember, you ain’t driving the kids to soccer practice, nally.

Charge As you venture your way through the sprawling, scenic farmlands of the Empire State, your phone may be having an entirely di erent experience. There’s a chance it’s spending its time an anxious wreck, frantically searching for a cell tower to cling to. To avoid arriving to NYC with a large chunk of your battery life missing, be sure to bring along a charger.

Views If you really, really want to soak up the beautiful views outside your window, you’ll de nitely want to be on the right side of the train (south bound). Much of the impressive Hudson River can be found on this side, while the east side is—how can I put this?—not as fortunate with its aesthetic viewing options.

Design Truths

Local interior designer James Coviello scorches with stylish honesty.

as a boy, collector James Coviello spent countless summers touring the ea markets, antique stalls and museums of Europe with his artsy parents, treks that sparked his lifelong passion for old and beautiful things. The fashion designer/decorator describes his Hudson Valley digs as “a perfectly imperfect 1840s Greek Revival getaway.” It’s also stunning lled with vintage furniture, romantic pieces and curious objects that re ect his abiding interest in 19th century

art and architecture. Coviello, who rents a booth at The Berkshire Galleries of Great Barrington and a collection at Clove and Creek in Hudson inevitably nds himself drawn to the “time-worn, richly faded look of a well-loved room.”

For likeminded interior-lovers, the designer takes on our décor questions.

–Isabel Hochman

What’s our area’s aesthetic? I’d say they’re based on comfort and family. And it’s interesting that there are

don’t forget to tip Coviello’s design tips are as genius as they are simple.

so many di erent kinds of aesthetics very close together. Each region has its own take on country living. There’s room to choose your own adventure.

What’s the biggest mistake novice decorators make? People don’t live in their house long enough to see how they use the rooms. There’s a lot of anxiety about what your space should look like, and I think that’s because they haven’t yet lived there. You have to use the space and understand how you function within it.

Any tips for a new home? Go with your gut. You don’t necessarily have to know what your style is. If you see

something you like, chances are it will look good once you get it into your space. Don’t be afraid of color! I see it with people who are sharing a space together; They might not see eye-to-eye and end up with something very neutral. You don’t want a space devoid of any color.

Nothing is permanent. When changing up your space with something small, you might surprise yourself and go in a di erent direction.

Tell us your local go-tos.

Berkshire Galleries of Great Barrington; Antique Warehouse Hudson and Housatonic Trading Co. in Bantam, CT.

Interior design matters because… Your surroundings mean more than you may think.

Talbott

202 Allen Street Hudson 12534 518.828.3558

TalbottAnd

Cheese Louise 940 NY-28 Kingston 12401 845.853.8207

CheeseLouiseNY.com In addition to its international array of artisanal fromage, Cheese Louise hosts Friday tastings. Yum.

404 Main Street Rosendale, NY 12472 845.658.7175

TheBigCheese Rosendale.com

This café and eclectic market boasts international and locally sourced cheeses—try the chèvre made right here in the Hudson Valley.

Joyful Cocktails

Lawrence Park

260 Warren Street Hudson, NY 12534 518.697.7612

LawrenceParkHudson.com

This cozy husband-and-wife-owned hotspot serves up natural, farmer-made wine, independent cra beer and trendy small bites.

Stockade Tavern

313 Fair Street Kingston, NY 12401 845.514.2649

StockadeTavern.com

You won’t nd TVs or pool tables here. You will nd dim lighting and mixologists shaking and stirring incredible cra cocktails with ni y names like Shirley Temple of Doom and Boyfriend’s Hoodie.

Olde

Heritage Tavern

12 Housatonic Street Lenox, MA 01240 413.637.0884

TheHeritageTavern.com

Originally opened in 1969, this decidedly old-school pub changed hands last year, but the beloved watering hole’s sticking to its roots, a relief to locals who adore its laid-back, homey atmosphere.

Wonderbar

455 Main Street Beacon, NY 12508 845.440.7706

Beacon

WonderbarBeacon.com

With a nod to the Roaring Twenties, the elegant Wonderbar Beacon features sophisticated libations in Art Deco glassware. We recommend ordering one of the small plates—heavenly.

Subversive Malting + Brewing

96 West Bridge Street Catskill, NY 12414 518.303.1270

DrinkSubversive.com

It’s all about cra beer at this farmhouse brewery where the malting’s done on site and the brew’s locally sourced with ingredients straight from the Catskill Mountains. Head outside to the cute biergarten on a beautiful summer night.

Reported by Mia Cárdenas

Night/Life

Manhattan beckons, again.

By Jack Rico

the unforgiving cold weather is upon us and while you’ve been enjoying the sprawling farmlands and mountain view sunsets of Catskill living, New York City has been busy coming back to life. Students are returning to classes; o ce buildings are starting to ll up and tra c jams are becoming a thing again. Yet, there are some exciting things happening in Gotham that are bringing back the glitz and glamour the city had recently lost. Here are a few of my personal recommendations that’ll remind you why New York City is still in a class of its own. Oh, how we’ve missed you, sexy Manhattan.

Broadway If you’re a fan of the movie Almost Famous—and I’ve never met anyone who isn’t—there’s no way you can miss Cameron Crowe’s classic story of life, love and rock ’n’ roll on the Broadway stage. It opened November 3 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.

Restaurant Shhhhh. There’s a new restaurant on the Upper East inside a ve- oor newly restored beaux-arts mansion called Casa Cruz. Chilean restaurateur Juan Santa Cruz’s menu o ers a fusion of South American and Mediterranean avors. This is one restaurant you won’t nd on Resy. Reservations are by email only. Go!

crowe’s feat ( left) Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous opens on Broadway; (inset) Casa Cruz wows foodies on the Upper East Side; (above) Ciao! The West Village’s Bar Pisellino

Bar New York City’s known for having some of the best bars in the world. My favorite without question is Bar Pisellino in the West Village. Whether you’re in the mood for a steaming espresso or a dirty Negroni, this stylish spot will make you feel like you’re in Rome circa 1940.

And… The David Ge en Hall, home of the iconic New York Philharmonic, has recently been reopened and transformed into the new “cultural living room” of NYC.

From ‘Jurassic Park’ to Harry Connick, Jr.’s Holiday Celebration, 2,200 seats await you at this beautifully revamped venue in the heart of the city.

No Card Required

The delight of tiny libraries is one for the books. |

By Rebecca Hardiman

just yesterday, I le a copy of one of my favorite novels, A Separate Peace, in the little library a block from my house and, in return, took a Toni Morrison hardcover. Score!

I can’t resist peeking into these sweet standalone kiosks that are o en, but not always, shaped like a schoolhouse and invariably stu ed with you never know what, from, say, Harry Potter to David Baldacci, to stacks of well-worn romances and children’s classics.

Beside the sense of serendipity they instill, I love the inherent charm of these diminutive libraries’ designs—whimsical and wide-ranging, some carved within trees, others elaborately tiled or painted, each unique. The idea behind these book exchanges—or “Little Free Libraries” if you care to register one with the national nonpro t of the same name—dates back to 2009 when Todd Bol of Wisconsin built a miniature schoolhouse and stocked it with all manner of reading material as a tribute to his mom, a teacher and serious bookworm. Needless to say, the idea exploded. Little libraries have popped up all over the country—many in our own region, from front yards in the Hudson Valley to street corners of Great Barrington and beyond.

In Freehold, NY, librarian Barbara Auerbach installed one on her rural road across from a eld of roaming cows and horses. “Over the years,” she tells me, “business has picked up. People in the community now regularly borrow or contribute to my Little Free Library.” Which is the whole point, a er all: community.

prayer book This little Rosendale, NY home is a replica of the town’s library which used to be a church.

JUDITH MINISSALI

David Ge en Hall

genius, in human form

Art by Manuel Santelices

red hot chile pepper Chilean artist Manuel Santelices illustrates Babe Paley dressed in Charles James in her NYC apartment. The artist’s work can be viewed at DASH Gallery in Kingston.

JOHN BARTLETT RiSES AGAiN

By Hal Rubenstein

Photographed by Fahnon Bennett exclusively for The Mountains

n a balmy day in the fall of 1991, I was slumped in my chair behind my desk at The New York Times where I was Men’s Style Director bemoaning a morning spent looking at three men’s collections devoid of ingenuity, individuality or sensuality. Oh, they were perfect if you wanted to look like a banker or a new associate attorney on the hit television series L.A. Law. Despite Gianni Versace’s deliberate objectification of the male torso, the fluidity Giorgio Armani had applied to suitings and the languid come-hitherness infusing every stitch of Dolce and Gabbana, American designers, with one major exception, were still clinging to the stalwart, Man In The Grey Flannel Suit silhouette that had straight-jacketed menswear for decades. The only major US designer leading the rebellion was Calvin Klein, who never met a regimental tie he liked.

Deflated after enduring the morning’s blather about clothes that didn’t warrant a conversation, I was contemplating leaving early when my phone rang (back in ’91 you actually answered your calls and verbally communicated). The voice on the other end was sonorous, intense and ever so slightly seductive. “Hello, my name’s John Bartlett and I’ve produced my first capsule collection of menswear and I’d love for you to come see it.” I hesitated, but the voice was undeniably intriguing. I responded that I was free now if he was prepared to present it. Bartlett said, “Come anytime,” so I headed downtown to his Manhattan apartment on 12th Street in Greenwich Village to meet the new designer and see his stu . What

John (We’ve known each other for three decades so I don’t feel the need to be so journalistically formal) pulled out of trunks and his closet turned my day around. The stu was good. Really good.

A Harvard graduate who got his degree in sociology, John Bartlett became fascinated by clothes when he moved to New York City, so he enrolled in the Fashion Institute of Technology to learn sewing, sketching and pattern making. However, regardless of what his teachers taught him, as well as his stints following graduation assisting several fine non-traditional designers, Willi Smith, Ronaldus Shamask and Bill Robinson, John’s previous major at Harvard, as well as his own assured self-awareness, were significant influences in his forming his design aesthetic. Though his clothes didn’t follow the risqué tease of Versace, or the sloppy kiss beckoning of D&G, there was something singular and refreshing about the young designer’s eagerness to provoke and indulge the American male’s repressed urge to revel in his own bravado. If you want proof of this bravado’s prevalence and how resplendently it has now blossomed, get on TikTok and view the parade of self-satisfied shirtless young men with rockin’ bodies showing o while proposing to teach you the same exercises for six packs and bulging biceps that were cover lines in Men’s Health 15 years ago. By the way, you will not catch any woman doing the same thing. Not one.

What made John Bartlett’s collections so tantalizing was that the base of his aesthetic is deceptively preppy; so, on a hanger, the clothes appeared unthreatening and familiar. Only when these garments were on your body, and you looked in a three-way mirror (everyone should have one), did you realize how the sly su estiveness of his

THE MULTIPLE CFDA-WINNING DESIGNER HEADS MARIST COLLEGE’S CELEBRATED FASHION DEPARTMENT AND LANDS SAFELY IN RHINEBECK. DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK. EXACTLY.

Rhinebeck DUTCHESS COUNTY

a little bit country “I love my house in Rhinebeck,” Bartlett says. “I didn’t want to be too rural though. That wouldn’t be a good look for me!” [Laughs]

designs, the realignment of proportions and penchant for more tactile fabrics, fed the ego. Seeing yourself in his clothes was like getting a pep talk from your best friend. They gave men, even those who normally lack confidence, license to swa er. For this skill, the designer pulled an industry coup in 1997, winning the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) award for Best Newcomer in Menswear as well as the one for Best Menswear Designer simultaneously. That’s quite the feat.

Bartlett was also one of the first designers to take on the nascent interest in clothes that incorporate sexual fluidity. When he launched his women’s line in 1998, he named the collection Butch/Fem and it handsomely blurred the lines between menswear and womenswear without compromising a woman’s sexuality and celebrities lined up to show o his work, including Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Sarah Jessica Parker and many more. He has had his own brick-and-mortar stores, collaborated with large brands such as Bon-Ton, Ghurka, Liz Claiborne and Byblos and drew accolades for his savvy reimagining of the famed Hush Puppy loafer.

But more recently the talented designer’s focus has been less on sensuality and more on sustainability, working only with organic and recycled materials, eschewing animal skins and establishing his own nonprofit Tiny Tim Rescue Fund, which raises money for independent shelters and the medical care needed to help these dogs and cats find permanent homes.

Bartlett’s restless, exuberantly sustained desire for exploration has now led him—after a lifetime of exhilarating highs and devastating lows—to a surprising yet not illogical next role. In 2020, he was selected to lead Marist College’s award-winning fashion program, which not only trashes the adage that those who can’t do teach but has given Bartlett an opportunity to not just impart his experience

and wisdom of an industry that has had to radically change in recent years, but to listen and learn from a generation that helped instigate that change, since youth views style, beauty and attraction from a very di erent vantage point. And, for most of his students, a new outfit isn’t necessarily what they believe matters most.

So how does it feel to be on the other side of the lectern?

Do you see yourself in your students?

The fact that I’m teaching a course called Fashion and Social Justice immediately notes the dramatic di erence. When I was at Harvard studying sociology, we thought about race, but we were exploring other things. Business was booming, we were exploring new attitudes toward sexuality, a heightened awareness of body consciousness, how to achieve an ideal. Today’s students want no part of that. For them, it’s all about body positivity, creating collections for non-binary people, making clothes that work on curvier plus-sized women, designing for the disabled. My students seem to always be thinking about sustainability, where things are sourced, how do they grow. Everything they do is seen through the eyes of social justice.

What do you think sparked their intense interest in not just being satisfied with flattering design?

Social media had a lot to do with it. The Black Lives Matter movement had an enormous ripple e ect on all minorities. But the conversation wasn’t confined to influencers, though they matter a great deal. A lot of people have been talking about it. Even Vogue had to change. Our faculty now makes a communal e ort to go back and look at our lectures and make sure the information about fashion that we present is as diverse and as global as possible.

Because we’ve crafted a niche-centric culture, it’s always been easy for us to look at fashion as a stand-alone craft. But no aspect of our culture ever exists in a vacuum. My course starts in the mid-19th century, then gains momentum with the Su ragette movement at the turn of the century, but the connection starts to get more exciting starting in the ’60s with protest fashion, clothing that reflects anti-war and reproductive rights, then the Black Panthers, Katherine Hamnett’s message T-shirts, Act Up Silence=Death T-shirts during the AIDS pandemic. I identify with the stru le because when I was their age, I was grappling with how to live as an out gay man.

Did you have a di cult time coming out?

Harvard was homophobic, not that that was unusual at the time, but it became easier when I started meeting guys my age. When I started going to FIT, I didn’t know if I was going to go into design or marketing, but I knew I always had to find something to wear to The Tunnel or The Palladium (Manhattan mega discos in the ’90s).

What made you shift your focus from sociology to fashion?

I always loved clothing. My mom would get Vogue and I’d spend hours studying it. When I got my driver’s license, the first place I went to was The Salvation Army because vintage clothes seemed more distinctive to me and as a gay man I found it an incredible way to identify myself. Clothing is always telling a story. When I started working for Ronaldus Shamask and Bill Robinson, I just wanted to live and breathe fashion.

But when you started designing on your own, in an industry known for its way more than average density of gays at every level, were you surprised at the collective skittishness toward both your openness about being gay and how that influenced your pieces?

Happily, it’s evolved. There was a moment when I started showing more provocative collections, there were gay men who were buyers who told me the clothes were too gay. Of course, you could show a woman in a thong, and nothing happened. Gianni Versace moved the needle more than anyone. I’m not what you call fluid. But fashion is certainly that now.

mr. big (deal) Bartlett has dressed many celebrities including style legends Sarah Jessica Parker and Jennifer Lopez. Pictured here in Bartlett’s unmistakable designs are actor Alan Cumming, model/provocateur Tony Ward and music icon Janet Jackson; (above) Bartlett reveals that he’s started work on designing a group of accessories, including a line of fitted vests, a new obsession.

You created another set of ripples when you embarked on another alternative pursuit.

I read actress Alicia Silverstone’s book, The Kind Diet, and I suddenly had an “a-ha” moment, not because of her recipes but due to her love of animals and her recoil at factory farming. It also coincided with my rescuing a dog from the North Shore Animal League (in Long Island, NY). That dog, Tiny Tim, changed my life.

Wow, can you tell us how?

The more I visited the shelter where these people save these wonderful creatures, the more I got pulled into that world. I started meeting with the “Vegan Mafia,” PETA and The Humane Society. The fashion industry is built on the leather industry, since its largest source of income comes from accessories. I just didn’t want to make clothes that involved animal su ering. I remember being on the board of the CFDA at the time, and I came out about this definitively at a meeting and it was a very awkward and uncomfortable moment. My fellow board members looked at me and rolled their eyes.

And yet now, fur has pretty much been banished from the runway. More designers—and importantly customers—aren’t dismissing substitutes. In food, we have The Impossible Burger. You just got there a bit ahead of the pack. Me and Todd Oldham (another CFDA award-winning designer from the ’90s who was the first to eschew animal skins from his runway a decade before Stella McCartney). Now, the industry is trying to come up with plant-based leather products that aren’t merely substitutes but also excel in performance. I’m very inspired by new companies that are creating clothes with an awareness of who’s making these

garments and how big their carbon footprint is. And we can no longer ignore that there’s a rapidly growing number of consumers who, like my students, really care about sustainability.

Your position at Marist in Poughkeepsie required you to move from Manhattan to the Hudson Valley. How radical a change has that geographical shift been for you?

I love the house I’m in in Rhinebeck. I didn’t want to be too rural. That wouldn’t be a good look for me [Laughs]. I wanted a sense of the country, but I still needed to see a neighbor, especially after John died (Bartlett’s husband John Walsh died of prostate cancer at age 56) and I spent the pandemic alone, which sucked, except for being with my dogs—I couldn’t be that isolated.

Did losing John help prompt a change of scenery and direction? Perhaps. I did a lot of bereavement work when he passed. I couldn’t find a gay, male bereavement group in New York City, so I collected other widowers, and we formed a new group. We keep bringing in new people. I also credit the Zen Center for Contemplative Care for their help. And I joined a 12-step program and feel sober and solid. It’s taken a long time. Five years.

Are you willing to put yourself out there again?

I have. I’ve dated here and there. I spend a lot of time with friends. And I recently met a lovely man, Jade Barbee, who lives in Vermont, is really nice and is an amazing vegan cook. In fact, we’re boyfriends.

Do you still follow current fashion?

I

justice league

Bartlett’s students at Marist College’s Fashion Department dazzled at the spectacular Silver Needle Runway Show in May 2022 at McCann Arena in Poughkeepsie. “Everything my students do and design is seen through the lens of social justice,” Bartlett says. “Everything we present to the students at Marist is as diverse and global as possible.”

recently did a recap of the latest New York Fashion Week for my

lonesome love “I spent the pandemic alone, which sucked, except for being with my dogs— I couldn’t be that isolated. I wanted a home with a sense of country, but I still needed to see a neighbor, especially after my husband died.”

students. I love the way people are working with sheer materials and transparency, reviving some ’90s trends I’ve always liked. And I love the clothes of LaQuan Smith which are so sexy and beautifully made and the work of Peter Do who approaches minimalism in a new way.

Do you ever get the urge to design again?

I’ve started working on a group of accessories. I love fitted vests. I wear them all the time. I prefer short sleeve military shirts and boxer shorts. I’m looking to have it produced. I’m also working with a group of women called Unshattered.org located in Hopewell Junction, who are all former victims of addiction forging a future for themselves by creating very handsome sustainable handbags. (Unshattered.org is a 501(c)3 organization with 100 percent of their profits going to help other women find “pathways to sustained sobriety and economic independence.”)

I’m also working with a couple of start-ups such as Made X Hudson, a small garment manufacturer trying to bring jobs to the Hudson Valley. I’m making quilts—I have such an endless supply of scraps from all of my collections—I can make them from start to finish. I’d like to do small runs of things or a pop-up store and raise money for shelters for trans youth such as the one in Dutchess County, or for animal organizations including the SPCA in Poughkeepsie.

You know, John, it really seems like you’re happy here. I sometimes miss the energy of New York City, the experience of running into people on the street you haven’t seen for years or just yesterday. I wish my students would rely less on social media and who their favorite top ten influencers are and come into town, go into a store and touch fabrics and look at garments and turn them inside out. But I definitely see where I am now as my next career. I’m inspired by the fact that Marist College is a gem because it isn’t just teaching fashion and design but insists students get a rounded liberal arts degree. My friends Upstate, as everyone who lives here knows, are all spread out, but I enjoy exploring towns including Woodstock, Austerlitz and Catskill. I love coming home and making dinner. Walking my Burnese mountain dog on the same hike every day. So many people have moved up here and started a new life, just like me. The thing is, it’s really a charming way to live.

makers

SWEDE DREAMS

ANDREA WESTERLIND’S EPONYMOUS STORES’ SUCCESS IS ONLY PART OF HER STORY HOW—AND WHERE—SHE LIVES IS TRULY WHAT MAKES HER EXTRAORDINARY ENJOY

By Jane Larkworthy Photographed by Natalie Chitwood exclusively for The Mountains

After designing four stores for a client base that’s both adventurous and stylish, Andrea Westerlind set about transforming her Ashley Falls, NY home to suit her impeccable taste—and she plans to make everything in it available to her customers.

Roughly 20 yards from Westerlind’s (stunning) front door, a line of railroad tracks hug the western edge of her property. They’re partially disguised, thanks to a smattering of trees and shrubs, and if you hadn’t noticed the o cial railroad crossing near her driveway’s entrance, you’d be forgiven for missing it entirely. But it’s still in use, all right, and Westerlind has the earplugs to prove it.

“It’s funny how the train never went by when we looked at this property,” laughs the Swedish native in reference to the long chain of freight cars that pass through on a seemingly loosey-goosey schedule. “The first time it was around 4am, and it really did feel like the train goes straight through your living room. But

BERKSHIRE COUNTY

quarry story Westerlind’s and her husband Gian Heilmann’s impressive Berkshires property was once home to the former Ashley Falls Marble Quarry. After its closing in the 1950s, the 68-feet quarry was filled and a brick house was erected. Here, the designer relaxes at home with her son, Ragnar.

it’s a compromise. I used to live next to the Williamsburg Bridge, so I’m used to it.”

If that’s not enough of a quirk, consider that Westerlind’s property was once home to the former Ashley Falls Marble Quarry. When it closed in the ’50s, the 68-feet quarry was filled with water and a brick house was erected, followed by a second section two decades later. Judging from photos found on the Massachusetts MLS listing, the house appears to have remained in the ’70s until Westerlind and husband Gian Heilmann (Westerlind’s COO and CFO) saw its future through their Scandinavian eyes. They knocked down a few walls, covered the remaining ones with white plaster and added pine flooring and a ton of vast pane-less windows. What was once the garage door is now a ten-foot pivot-hinge front door which opens to a generously sized mudroom. Blonde woods cover kitchen appliances and rows of drawers flush with the walls in the bedrooms. And they excavated ten tons of marble during a septic inspection that now

superior interior Of their home’s interior, Westerlind and Heilmann agreed to knock down a few walls, cover the remaining ones with white plaster, add pine flooring as well as a ton of vast pane-less windows. They also covered the kitchen appliances with blonde woods. The spectacular results are self-evident.

plays a pervasive role— as the kitchen’s stove vent and counterspace (where three standalone Pitt burners neatly reside), as both the flooring and shower walls in the primary bathroom, and, perhaps most dramatically, in the newly expanded patio and its adjoining stairs that lead to the property’s lake.

With a mane of dirty blonde hair and nary a stitch of makeup, Westerlind greets me one early fall evening wearing jeans and a navy sweater. I don’t even wear jeans but, nevertheless, I covet her entire look down to the beet-hued Arizona Eve Birkenstocks. When she explains that she’s third generation of a Swedish fashion house, I feel better, chalking it up to inheritance.

“I was kind of social as a kid, too, so sales came naturally,” she says. “Swedes are very shy so they’re reluctant to travel and, especially, to sell things.”

Westerlind, on the other hand, wanted to do both. She procured herself a visa by applying to Parsons’ fashion marketing program. Once there, she found an investor to help her open her own agency and goodbye Parsons, hello Fjällräven Kånken! The Swedish backpack brand recognizable by its cute curled-up Arctic fox logo had failed at cracking the US market, but Westerlind put her own spin on things. She created collaborations with Barney’s New York and Opening Ceremony and got the backpacks into the hands of Madonna and Sofia Coppola, who featured one in her film, Somewhere. Four years later, Westerlind sold the stateside division back to the company, which provided the resources to start her own. It was 2008 and she hadn’t even hit legal drinking age.

“I thought, I should just become the outdoor person of the fashion world,” she

reflects as we walk the path that hugs that very deep lake. “Women didn’t wear backpacks or sneakers back then, so I made it my niche. Outdoors for urban people.”

Westerlind opened a few stores out west, but the back and forth to New York City became too much, so she searched closer to home and found her first location in Millerton, NY, the former home of Saperstein’s department store, which had shuttered its doors after a 71-year run. A second followed in Great Barrington, with Hudson and Kingston opening this past summer.

Along with outdoor everything from tents to hiking boots to ski suits, Westerlind’s inventory is expanding to indoor everything—specifically, everything in her home, from the wood shelving to the lighting by Modular Lighting Instruments that oversees its rooms and the Bari Hase wood stove that heats them. In December, prefab modular homes, starting at 100 square feet(!), will also be available.

“Super modern, super Swedish,” Westerlind says matter-of-factly. Just, please, don’t think of calling it luxury. “We stay away from that word,” she says. “Scandinavians love great quality, but for the basics that we wear every day and own for a long time. They have to make sense.”

We stop to gaze across the lake at her home, mirrored in the tranquil waters at dusk.

“I do think it’s a luxury to live in nature, though,” Westerlind says, then adds with a mild laugh. “Not having to wear high heels is a total luxury.”

“I thought, I should just become the outdoor person of the fashion world. Women didn’t wear backpacks or sneakers back then, so I made it my niche.”

outdoor life “I do think it’s a luxury to live in nature,” Westerlind says, showcasing the many activities she does without ever leaving her estate: from bee keeping and fly-fishing to gardening and even wielding an axe.

pas de deux

LOVE & MARRiAGE iN RHiNEBECK

HOSPITALITY DESIGNER DAVID ASHEN AND JOURNALIST AND ARTIST MANUEL SANTELICES FORGE A DYNAMIC CREATIVE DUO AND THEY’RE NICE TOO

By Bill Henning

anuel Santelices thought Dutchess County might be a mistake. A big one.

“We decided to rent a house there in fall 2012, while in Milan,” recalls his husband, David Ashen, “and Manuel was like, ‘Don’t rent the house. We’re not gonna go up there.’” The problem wasn’t the area, exactly. The pair, who met on America Online in 2000 (ah, the romantic screeching of dial-up modems), had been spending time visiting friends in Gallatin and loved their weekends in the Hudson Valley. The problem was what Ashen calls “the most expensive rental in the world.” And he’s not talking about the monthly ask for the Milan house.

“I rented a house for 16 years in Amagansett,” Ashen says. “The last couple of years, we had the house for a year, and we only went one weekend.”

Santelices feared an Upstate repeat.

“But we actually used the house,” Ashen says. “We’d drive up every Friday, and we’d stop for dinner in Rhinebeck. We decided at the end of the year to buy something, but we didn’t know where we wanted to be: In the village? In the country? Finally, we thought, ‘Well, we’re in the village every weekend, so why don’t we try Rhinebeck?’ It seemed to be the place we liked the best.”

They looked at four houses, took a shine to a fifth, and made an o er. “We thought, ‘If we hate it, we can flip it,’” Ashen says.

Demand for Rhinebeck real estate made flipping a safe backup plan, but Ashen had an additional edge: a master’s in architecture. “I trained as an architect, but all my work is interiors,” he says.

David Ashen is the founder of dash design, a bustling firm based in Long Island City, Queens (site of my first New York City apartment in the late ’80s). High-profile dash projects include Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino, the restaurants at Mandarin Oriental Shanghai, Godiva

Photographed by Fahnon Bennett exclusively for The Mountains

art imitating life Ashen and Santelices at home in Rhinebeck in the same spot as Santelices’ art work depicts (inset).

Rhinebeck DUTCHESS COUNTY

boutiques worldwide and Resorts World Casino (opening imminently in Newburgh, NY).

The firm’s designs are varied: from Art Deco opulence to urban farmer to beachside Victorian boarding house. Ashen’s acclaimed work has no signature style, and he likes it that way.

“I worked for a number of years at a large branding agency, so my work is diverse purposely,” he says. “I have good friends, designers I admire, whose work is very identifiable. I always hope my work isn’t. Sixty or seventy percent of my work is hotels or restaurants, and you’ve got to develop a narrative around each project, one that’s relevant to the area, and that inspires you to create a specific experience for the people who’ll be in the space.”

As you may have guessed, there was no need to flip the Rhinebeck house, which Ashen and Santelices, married in July 2021, now share with gorgeous housecats Leon and Ivan. While Ashen travels extensively for work, and they still maintain a NYC home, Manuel, a journalist who grew up in Santiago, Chile—and had those initial misgivings—is in Rhinebeck full time.

“I go to the City every other week for a night or two, but the rest of the time I’m here,” he says. “It’s weird, in a way, because I always wanted to live in New York City. It was the reason I came to the US. I’m at this point of my life where I’m happy here. I was never really a nature person, but I’m a tree hu er now! [Laughs] As for the City? I don’t miss it much. I was there for 30 years and it was an intense, wonderful life, but I’m not missing it at all.”

drawing room Santelices’ arresting work depicting Mills Mansion in Staatsburg, NY.

TERRY RODGERS

With a degree in journalism, Santelices covered fashion and culture for decades, first in Santiago, then in NYC. His byline is familiar to readers of Spanish-language editions of Elle, Harper’s Bazaar and Esquire in Spain and Latin America.

But there have been big changes on that front, too. Santelices continues to work the same beat, but about seven years ago, he set aside the laptop and picked up a paintbrush. “Illustration was always in the back of my head, and I thought one day I’m just gonna do it,” he says.

What finally sparked the change? “Do you know Donald Robertson?” Santelices asks. “He’s an illustrator I follow on Instagram. I was interviewing him, and I asked, ‘What are your influences?’ And he said, ‘You know what? I admire anyone who does something creative every day.’ And I thought, ‘I should do that. I should do something creative every day.’ And I started to draw and draw and draw.”

More than just a font of inspiration, Instagram also made it easy for Santelices to share his work which quickly garnered attention—from all the right people. “I had a book (Drawing The Line) published in Chile in 2017 and a show at Soho Beach House in Miami the same year,” he says.

Ever since, Santelices’ impeccably detailed watercolors—“Fashion and interiors, mostly,” he says, “and pop culture, which I love!”—have been in hot demand. His A-list roster of corporate clients include MAC Cosmetics, H&M and Ti any & Co. He’s also done a range of editorial projects. He’s illustrated House Beautiful Style Director Robert Rufino’s bi-monthly column and sketched the Fall 2020 collections for Modern Luxury magazines. “The pandemic, weirdly enough, was very good for me professionally. Magazines couldn’t shoot fashion spreads, so I’d do complete portfolios. It was great!”

Santelices’ art has also strayed o the page. He’s created murals in stores and hotels, collaborated on a clothing line and has a range of wallcoverings due out this fall. In a word, it’s impressive.

Meanwhile, there’s a growing list of projects in and near Rhinebeck to keep both Santelices and Ashen quite busy.

Across the Hudson River in Kingston, the talented couple opened dash gallery, where Santelices curates exhibitions with titles such as “Tarts and Vicars.” His “Beats & Buddhas” last summer featured materials from Allen Ginsberg’s estate.

Ashen and Santelices have also bought two additional houses in Rhinebeck, which they’ve decorated and rent on Airbnb. “The homes really represent our style,” says Ashen, “very eclectic, full of art and objects that are very personal to us. We’re both Tauruses, unfortunately. We like to nest, we like to collect stu , and we don’t like to get rid of things.”

“We’re not hoarders, though,” Santelices interjects. “Not yet!”

What they are, unsurprisingly, is excellent hosts. “I’m always fussing over what needs to be in the Airbnb,” says Ashen. “So, I’m very excited when we get compliments about the bed or the sheets.”

At their own home, Ashen will often make dinner for 8 or 10 people. “A couple

years ago at Christmas, we had 22 on the porch, mostly neighbors,” he says, which reminds him of an earlier meal.

“When Manuel and I first met, 22 years ago, we had a dinner party,” he says. “There were a lot of media people: the president of Univision, magazine editors. We had this glass dining table that you could expand by flipping a leaf over. Manuel said, ‘I’ll do the table. I want to do it.’ Well, he did it. But he didn’t know you had to lock the leaf in. I made beef bourguignon, and as we served, the table flipped and the bourguignon flew all over everybody— one magazine editor in particular.”

“It was a very memorable evening,” says Santelices [Laughs].

One might call it a unique experience with a strong narrative, though a little o - brand.

eclectic fans The creative couple have purchased two additional properties in Rhinebeck which they’ve decorated and rent out on Airbnb. “The homes really represent our style—eclectic, and full of art,” Santelices says; (above) DASH Design’s bar and guest room in the stellar 82-room boutique ONE11 Hotel in New Orleans’ red-hot French Quarter district.

from...

THANK YOU, OLiVE

In the late 1970s my husband Steve and I stumbled on an unspoiled Caribbean Island. It had everything we wanted: no tall buildings, no gambling, no golf, no tennis. No cruise ships. No crowds. It did have unspoiled beaches, where we’d often be the only people all day long. It had a 12-room hotel run by an eccentric Bostonian, who chain-smoked and made sure all the guests got along. It was filled with people from all over the world, who seemed to get more and more interesting as the week rolled on. It had space and light and soothed me in ways I didn’t know I needed.

By Martha Frankel

preconceived notions. They talk about music, or they talk about the festival. They ask if we knew Michael Lang and we nod. They ask if we were ever at The Barn when Levon played, and we nod again. We o er nothing more than that. They ask if things have changed a lot and we give noncommittal shrugs of our shoulders.

I live in the Town of Olive, 15 miles from Woodstock, and, frankly, it’s another world entirely. When I moved here in 1974, people would appear slack-jawed when I mentioned I was a Jew. When I became a firefighter, people sneered and assumed the work would be too hard. But I held my ground and gained their respect.

We went back every winter for 15 years, sometimes staying a week, sometimes a month or more. We knew the locals and went salsa dancing with them on Thursday nights—“Little Friday” they called it—where women would strut around in hair rollers, getting ready for real Friday.

We cooked with the grandmas, partied with their grandkids, went to weddings and funerals. We felt totally at home there. When people asked us what it was like, we’d say “gamey.”

reservoir dog “I loved seeing new places, but I was homesick,” Frankel writes. Ashokan Reservoir is yet another reason to fall hard for Olive, NY.

This is the way I treat the small town I’ve lived in for close to half a century. When people ask where I’m from, I say Woodstock, because they come at that town with their own

Years ago, when Steve’s shop burned to the ground, and my neighbors found out we didn’t have insurance, they flocked to help. Some dropped o casseroles. Others brought $50 or a new hammer. A man we had never met came to o er his services as a mason. We took him up on it and built a gorgeous concrete block building. Others came to help when we needed to set the roof joists. And others helped pour the concrete floor. I knew then I was never leaving this town. I was right.

In the mid ’80s, when I started writing celebrity cover stories for national magazines, I spent a lot of time on airplanes. I’d go to Los Angeles mostly, but also Miami and Nashville and European capitals, too. I loved seeing new places, but I was homesick. I missed my honey and my dogs, but mostly I missed running into my neighbors.

My stories in Redbook and McCall’s and Cosmopolitan would be on the racks in my local supermarket. People would say, “Oh my, your life is so fabulous!” And I’d always correct them. “That’s my work,” I’d say. “This, this is my life.” And I’d move my hand around to encompass this special place I’m lucky enough to call home.

The day after the 2016 presidential election, I cooked a huge pot of stew and some cranberry sauce. I put it lovingly into containers and then drove around town and gave it to those of my neighbors I knew had voted the other way than I had. “We’ll all be here long after he’s gone,” I said to a few. They hu ed me and I held on tight. I breathed them in and it’s that scent that kept me going. It’s that scent that keeps the gamey away.

15 miles from Woodstock, I found my beautiful life.

Olive ULSTER COUNTY

ASHLEY MIILES

makers

The Prince Of Berkshire hOuse

FOUNDER AND ART CURATOR JONATHAN PRINCE MAKES ART A PRIORITY. COOL.

By Isabel Hochman | Photography by Antoine Bootz

sign o’ the times Art is the deal at Berkshire House; (opposite) sculptor Jonathan Prince opened Berkshire House in 2020 on five beautiful acres that was once a dairy farm and transformed it as his home, private studio and collaborative art center.

turn down a secluded driveway nestled deep in the mountains of Southfield, MA and gradually come upon a picturebook country estate. This is Berkshire House, a beautifully renovated former 1900s dairy farm that stands on five bucolic acres and is home, studio and collaborative art center of sculptor Jonathan Prince. Launched in 2020 by Prince and art curator Stephanie Manasseh, Berkshire House is a hub of creative industry, bringing together makers and innovators with a singular focus—to make art, talk art, support art.

Prince greets me outside. Bright and energetic, the artist is known for his massive steel sculptures often at the intersection of science, technology and spirituality. As he ushers me in for a tour of the stunning space, Prince’s

BERKSHIRE COUNTY

green scene Prince is widely known for his massive steel sculptures whom he creates with the help of up to five assistants; (opposite) Prince with Berkshire House’s Co-Founder and Art Curator, Stephanie Manasseh.

passion for innovation and creativity is palpable: installations, sculptures and bold works of art abound and meld into the fiber of each room.

“This house is almost like the three pillars of my life: open heartedness, creativity and love,” he tells me wistfully. “That’s what we wanted it to feel like—like the artwork that goes in it. What we wanted to convey is the spiritual practice of non-duality, which fits along with the rest of what I think about when I create my work. That means having a unified life that you live and feel. You don’t pretend to be what you’re not. You have an open heart, and you allow everything in your life to reflect that.”

The living and dining space is dominated by Sol LeWitt’s Wall Drawing WD 684C, a massive, contemporary piece saturated in color, with bands of squares bordered and divided horizontally and vertically. The breathtaking piece, on permanent loan from the LeWitt family and their foundation, arrived by way of Manasseh. During the pandemic, she became close to LeWitt’s wife while curating an exhibition of the artist’s works for the Jewish Museum of Belgium.

residence inn One of Berkshire House’s next projects will be an artist-in-residence program, Prince says, whose passion for innovation and creativity is palpable.

In the studio on property, Prince experiments with and creates his dynamic works (with the help of sometimes up to five assistants) and invites plenty of collaborations. Berkshire House has worked with lighting designer Gabriel Scott, artists Zdeněk Lhotský and John Procario and others, and has opened its doors and gallery, by appointment, to guests across varying industries.

One of Berkshire House’s latest programs, TWELVE, brings together a dozen artists and designers to share a meal and exchange ideas. During a TWELVE evening, as a group sat around a table built in Prince’s studio, fashion designer Jérôme LaMaar urged the sculptor to create a set of flatware, which became part of his Turbulence Series, with the idea that guests should touch and interact with the art, be open and engaged with the world around them.

As we work our way back outside into the chill of what Prince fondly calls “an old Berkshire day” and descend the lovely old stone path that leads from the house, the artist tells me that one of Berkshire House’s next projects will be to establish an artist-in-residence program. Prince and Manasseh plan to transform the sheep’s barn into a sanctuary for working artists, to give them space and support to work. What else, I ask him, does the future hold for Berkshire House? “I’ve been working in the arts now for 20 years,” he says. “We’re fortunate enough to have a lot of contacts. I’d like to organize a couple of conferences around the arts and bring people together to really discover the Berkshires as well. An idea comes, we start to talk….”

C.G. STONE, INC.

Christopher Gregory, Stone Mason cgregorystone.com

post

A

FASHiONABLE

You gotta have style. It helps you get down the stairs.

It helps you get up in the morning. It’s a way of life. Without it, you’re nobody.

I’m not talking about lots of clothes,” said Diana Vreeland, the legendary French American fashion columnist and magazine editor who never really said anything, come to think of it, but instead issued forth words with that Vreeland vroom of hers—a purr which she utilized to make her pronouncements aimed at grownups who were just a little too grown-up for her taste. She delighted others but found delight to be too o -therack for her, so subsume it. She preferred to preen with joy when she was pleased. I like to think of Vreeland as what happened to Eloise when she got too tall—only slightly—to keep that kid act of hers going at The Plaza, so had to reinvent herself as another New York character—but one with the subtle notes of Eloise still intact next to that consideration in her purr. Reinventions tend to work when they remind others of an earlier inventive act of creation without having to resort to a replication of it.

1: Unlike fashion, style is timeless and shape-shifts to fit one’s latest reinvention. Style is not about the fit. Style is instead fitting.

I moved to Hudson almost five years ago from San Francisco after giving that city five years of its own when, needing to reinvent myself after my 38 years in Manhattan, I moved west to create a magazine as its editor-in-chief. I’d never even been to Hudson before that first snowy day in the middle of January, when I arrived here to reinvent myself yet again.

fashion institute (above) Marina Abramović, wearing a Rick Owens gown and whose institute is based in Hudson, photographed by Weston Wells for The Financial Times; Marine Penvern visiting the author in his Warren Street loft; (opposite) Sam Logan, owner of juice bar/wellness bodega, Little Rico, in his store Meridian in Hudson.

Pictures and Words by Kevin Sessums COLUMBIA

Hudson

This stylish little town has reinvented itself many times over from its whaling days when guys on those boats up and down the Hudson River dropped anchor here to find out just how libertine they could be. The lore of the place is that it didn’t have a red-light district; back then, the whole town was red-lit. For a time, it was where the mafia set up its own Mayberry. Then the midcentury dealers moved in and it became a

to know here who no longer have the exhausting need to be fashionable. Because they no longer have that need, the first thing I noticed about them was how more deeply stylish they are. Their style was what led me to want to know them better. Fashionable people are fine but having a deeper sense of style is often the first clue I need to decipher a new friendship. Such deciphering happens a lot for me in Hudson.

is Nikki Chasen’s boutique at 533 Warren where she sells her namesake label of classic but playful designs which she describes as having a “streak of tongue-in-cheek rebelliousness.” We bonded over our love of our pets. She has two dogs, one of them rescued from Mississippi. “Shut yo’mouth,” I said when she told me that. “I’m from Mississippi. I was rescued from there, too.”

design Mecca. It was still Mayberry but one directed by Wes Anderson. Now it’s a kind of Brooklyn North, its sidewalks on Warren Street filled on some days with hip young people and older sophisticates who, when they were an earlier version of such young people, settled into an alchemic style that anchored them in themselves.

“‘Style is the answer to everything,’” designer, painter and jazz lover Marine Penvern told me one afternoon, quoting Charles Bukowski from Track 25 of his Master Collection LP, when she and painter Je Sonhouse came over to my loft for a visit. “‘To do a dull thing with style is preferable to doing a dangerous thing without it,’” she said. “’To do a dangerous thing with style is what I call art.’” Marine’s atelier is at 715 Warren Street where, when she’s not reading Bukowski, she can be found working on her creations in the rear sewing room or sitting on a bench out front playing her sax, Coltrane flowing colorfully from her as if she has spun his notes into the silk fabric she uses to make her signature caftans patterned from her abstract paintings.

Marine has an exhibition of her paintings opening in February at Hudson Hall which will consist not only of her abstract works but also portraits of characters around town whose style isn’t only embedded in their faces that Marine has rendered with a tender yet tough-eyed realism, but also in their character. Characters with character is a kind of summing up of those I’ve gotten

2: Style isn’t about money; it’s about being a real-life character. Let the bills become make-believe. Real style states, “I’m paid-in-full.” The most inexpensive place in town to shop for clothes is Second Show Thrift Store, which benefits Columbia Memorial Hospital and Operation Unite, the latter a collaborative to reduce drug addiction and promote recovery. Judy Engel and I like to shop there and brag to each other that we “got at Second Show” when we wear what we found in its racks which usually elicits a compliment from the other. Not only do we like a bargain, but we more deeply like that buying something that fits our style at a charity thrift store can also be about generosity and an act of service.

Other stores in Hudson I like for their sense of style are Mikel Hunter’s cuttingedge boutique and gallery at 533 Warren which is a kind of twin of his other store on Martha’s Vineyard in Edgartown, one that has the familial aesthetic but needed to make a home of its own to hone it further. Next door to Judy Engel’s midcentury shop

Sam Logan owns Meridian at 438 1/2 Warren which he describes on its website as “a digital and physical space for contemporary clothing and visual culture.” I had a crush on him when I first moved here but learned long ago not to pine for straight guys. So now I go in to talk about navigating an exit from his marriage with his purposeful grace (his own mindful brand), parenting his two young sons and who the lucky lady might be he’s dating lately. One of the greatest joys I’ve discovered here is seeing Sam and one of his sons skateboarding together up and down Warren. It takes a lot of style—and even more love—to pull o being a dad who can do that. In fact, the last time I saw them skateboarding toward me when I was walking to the train station, I told his son that he had the coolest dad on the planet. “Do you know that?” I asked as he sped by. “I know that,” he called back to me.

3: Fashion is a sentence you read. Style is a sentence you write. Having a sense of home within a herd is what being fashionable finally o ers, but individuality is the foundation of style. It also has given Hudson its commercial one. Even the furniture stores and boutiques here along Warren’s ten long blocks are defined by their individuality, almost all of them independently owned. An exception is the latest outpost of Westerlind, the outdoor apparel emporium managed by Tom Pawlowski. Its founder, Andrea Westerlind, is mindful about her brand—being mindful about it is, in a way, her brand—so has been careful about her company’s expansion. Its recent footprint in Hudson proved to me that the town’s hipness, always an evanescent concept, has hardened into a fact found now in market research.

Kasuri was once the first boutique you encountered when turning onto Warren Street from the train station. But there was

One of the greatest joys I’ve discovered here is seeing Sam and one of his sons skateboarding together up and down Warren. It takes a lot of style—and even more love—to pull off being a dad who can do that.

a flood in the building several months ago and it’s still under reconstruction. Kasuri is now located temporarily in The Warehouse, the shop’s haute couture finding itself surprisingly in dialogue with the furniture that mostly competes for the attention of customers in the vastness of the place just as the designers it carries—Vivienne Westwood, Yohji Yamamoto, Rick Owens and Walter Van Beirendonck among them—are in dialogue across generations you begin to discern when you shop at Kasuri because its creative director, Jonathan Osofsky, who grew up on a Columbia County dairy farm, has a taste for narrative threads as well as the luxurious ones used by such designers to manifest the incongruities of punk. “The designers we carry have been profoundly influential on fashion design but they transcend it,” Jonathan said, which sounds like a mission statement for style. “In fact, they really represent a kind of anti-fashion, uninterested in the trend cycles.”

at 345 Warren. Their curation isn’t hopelessly hip but somehow gives one the hope of being able somehow to be as hip as they are. Nina even designs her own line of clogs.

I like to shop for vintage clothes and when you do so at Look Apparel and Accessories, the designer vintage boutique in the back of Fresh Stockholm, the cosmetics store at 401 Warren, you can be assured that Marie and Ian—everybody just calls them Marie and Ian—have already sorted out the best recent choices from what they have in storage and from their carefully culled sources. You can trust them about pricing. More important, when you try something on you can trust them to tell you if it makes you look silly or furthers your style which they have instinctively sized up when you walked in. Last Christmas season when I was shopping for a gift there, they instinctively knew I’d be alone on Christmas Eve and invited me to a small dinner at their home because that too is their style.

“The best time to leave a party is when the party’s just beginning,” was another pronouncement issued by Vreeland. “There’s no drink that kills except the drink that you didn’t want to take, as the saying goes, and there’s no hour that kills except the hour you stayed after you wanted to go home.”

autobiography, Long Walk To Freedom, has had a home outside Hudson for years. I ran into him the other day having lunch at The Cascades, the cafe on Warren where locals eat, a place that doesn’t worry about the rightness and wrongness of whatever cheese is back in its kitchen.

4: One can be mean and still be stylish. But kindness never goes out of style. Marine is just one of the people with whom I have become friends because they have accessorized their style with kindness. Many, like Marine, own their own stores. Sculptor Judy Engel’s Modern on the Hudson is right across the street from my loft. I often stop in not only to chat and catch up, but also to see what outfit she’s wearing. She curates her clothes with the same keen eye with which she curates her two floors of mid-century furniture and design. We bonded in the prepandemic days when we volunteered to help prepare meals for CampHills’ community dinner on Monday nights. She even looks stylish in an apron.

Another couple, Nina Ziefvert and her husband Tshidi Matali are, respectively, from Sweden and Botswana. They own sideby-side vintage stores, Nina Z and Bontleng,

I left Hudson at the end of October and headed to London as my new home base for six months a year. I’ll be there until March and then in Paris through April. I haven’t decided about the rest of 2023, but that’s the great thing about the pilgrim’s life I’m about to embark upon: I don’t have to decide yet.

The initial decision to become a pilgrim—I like that term better than elder nomad—was my latest act of reinvention. After five years in Hudson, I don’t think I left the party early. It has instead become a di erent kind of party. The pandemic changed the place as even more New York City residents sought refuge in Hudson and its surrounding area and discovered that they, too, liked being city refugees in such a small-town, bucolic place where they could also buy the cheese they like and have dinner parties with likeminded folks who find comfort in style as much as the right kind of fromage

Richard Stengel, the former top editor of Time who served as an Under Secretary of State for President Barack Obama and collaborated with Nelson Mandela on his

We talked about his appearances on MSNBC as a talking head, which was a reinvention for him when he first took the job, and my own imminent reinvention as a pilgrim setting o to engage with the world in a di erent way. I told him I had donated most of my library to Time and Space Ltd. in gratitude for enriching my life while I lived these last few years a few blocks away from it, had re-homed my cats, Finn and Matty, breaking my own heart, and had sold everything I own except for a few pieces of art, my three watches and the clothes that can compose a wardrobe that consists of blacks and grey along with some old white shirts. “After a guy reaches a certain age he should dress like a chic lesbian anyway,” I said with—God help me—a considered purr. “When I go to my closet each morning, I stare at my clothes and ask myself one question: ‘What would Kate Clinton wear?’” I looked over at Rick to inspect his casual lunchtime attire. “You understand. You already dress like a lesbian with style,” I complimented him. But he wasn’t sure if I had. The sweet befuddlement on the face of a man who’s so seldom befuddled unexpectedly moved me.

As I continued my walk home that day to my loft where I was now editing my life after a life lived editing my stories, I added this lovely little lunchtime happenstance to the memories I’ve made here. Where else but Hudson could you run into Richard Stengel and tell him he looked like a welldressed lesbian? I’m going to miss this place. But it was time to move on. Because that— moving on—is precisely my style.

chasen, not stirred Nikki Chasen in her eponymous Hudson boutique.

hunter season Mikel Hunter in front of his Warren Street shop.

makers YOU BETTER WORK

FREDERICK

PIKOVSKY’S

BARNFOX IS REDEFINING COWORKING SPACES WITH STUNNING DESIGNS AND SERIOUS PERKS NO WONDER THEY’RE THE TALK OF HUDSON AND KINGSTON AND LIVINGSTON MANOR

By Tara Solomon

Photography by Devon Wood

book smart An author with six books (and counting) under his belt, Pikovsky is cofounder of the pioneering work and retreat company, Barnfox.

Any excuse to be an adult camp counselor would be the best job in the world,” says Frederick Pikovsky, the biophilic cofounder of Barnfox, a pioneering work and retreat company with three sleek coworking spaces in the Hudson Valley.

Pikovsky, 39, fresh-faced and articulate, is wearing a gray T-shirt, jeans and black baseball cap, looking very much like an adult camp counselor. (He was, in fact, one in his 20s at Camp Concord in Lake Tahoe, CA.) The Brooklyn native, son of Ukrainian immigrants, is on vacay in Stockholm, where he proposed to his girlfriend of three years. “It was a success,” he reveals happily.

An author with six books under his belt, Pikovsky most recently profiled city dwellers who traded Times Square for fresh air in his 2019 tome, Back To The Land: A Guide To Modern Outdoor Life. “The premise was that the pace of modern city life is wearing people out and technology, for the first time in history, allows us to live and work remotely, from anywhere.”

Which is pretty much the theory behind Barnfox. That and nature.

“There’s a visceral thing that nature does to calm us down,” says Pikovsky, an alpha serial entrepreneur who recharges by spending time outdoors—whether biking through the backroads of Dutchess County or foraging for wild mushrooms in one of the Hudson Valley’s lush, unfragmented forests. Did we mention that Pikovsky graduated from Le Cordon Bleu Los Angeles at age 23?

The genesis of Barnfox was a tiny, 140-square-foot cabin on Fox Mountain Road in the Catskills which Pikovsky and his business partner, industrial designer Tim Tedesco, built together. They followed that with a tricked-out barn on Fox Mountain for remote working in the forest—hence, Barnfox—but ran into pesky zoning issues.

Pikovsky and Tedesco transformed a new location on the main drag in nearby Hudson and launched Barnfox on fabled Warren Street in February 2020. Pure eye candy, Barnfox Hudson boasted a Scandinavian-inspired undulating wood ceiling that gave the workplay microcosm major design cred. Creature comforts such as a complimentary beverage bar

lord of the manor BarnFox’s stunning outpost in Livingston Manor, NY.

Kingston

ULSTER COUNTY

featuring local favorites Crosscut Co ees and Verdigris Tea, private conference rooms and sound-proof phone booths made going to work—even during a pandemic—seem fun.

Barnfox Kingston followed later that year, its Rustic Chic décor (burled wood floors, matte black, crisp white walls, potted palms) and high-tech perks (fiber-optic internet and podcasting equipment) breathing life into a 4,000-square-foot space in the historic late 19th century Clermont Building in the Stockade District.

In June 2021, Barnfox opened in the trendy hamlet of Livingston Manor in the Catskills with a cozy cabin-themed location on Main Street featuring a wood-burning fireplace and spacious backyard outfitted with custom-built picnic tables, Adirondack chairs and a firepit big enough for a socially distanced s’mores roast.

Adjusting to life during and after the global pandemic—professionally and personally—is still a challenge holistically, acknowledges Pikovsky, who in 2011 launched one of Brooklyn’s first coworking spaces, DUMBO Startup Lab. In Barnfox, Pikovsky sees an opportunity to embrace a new work/ life balance that values interaction and connection—often through an impromptu hike in the woods. A neo-Woodstock millennial salon if you will.

“Barnfox is a workspace that’s meant to be a social space,” Pikovsky says. “It’s a work slash social hub. We have member events and popups to support local businesses. There’s cold

nature calls “I’m looking forward to the day we launch the first Barnfox remote Work and Wellness Village, embedded in nature,” Pikovsky says, of the company’s ambitious future plans.

brew on tap and unlimited cappuccino. The fridge is always stocked with healthy snacks including locally sourced, gluten-free granola.”

You had us at the unlimited cappuccino and snacks. With its intelligent design and clever member amenities—complimentary parking, secure 24/7 access, concierge services for area attractions and nature outings, popups with local merchants and whimsical parties such as “Mama Fox Club” night— Barnfox has seen an uptick in its membership and its future is decidedly female: Pikovsky estimates that more than 60 percent of its nearly 400 members are women.

Barnfox’s expansion plans include developing its corporate retreat business (Barnfox locations can currently accommodate up to 70 guests at a time), opening locations across the nation in beach and desert locales (nee Beachfox and Desertfox), and expanding into the wellness sector. “I’m looking forward to the day we launch the first Barnfox remote Work and Wellness Village, embedded in nature,” says Pikovsky.

And soon, Barnfox will be opening a second location in Hudson—in the impressive 6,000-square-foot Etsy building. Pass the gluten-free granola, please. No, seriously.

diary

WHEN ALL THESTARS ALiGNED

On a night for the ages, the epic baseball Game was only a part of the wondrous journey. Play ball!

Pictures and Words by James Long

The National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY—“nestled between the Adirondacks and the Catskills” as the museum’s website notes—would ordinarily be worth visiting while driving from Manhattan to Montréal or Toronto, as I’ve done on occasional leisurely trips. When venturing north from the City via the Taconic State Parkway, I’ve thought about taking a brief detour to drop by the museum, but it always felt—how shall I say it?—redundant.

For starters, I’ve never been a dedicated fan of Major League Baseball, at least during my adult years. I’ll watch a few mid-season games, typically the New York home teams Yankees and Mets, only to compare how both are doing versus the scathing tabloids. (Non-spoiler alert: I’m watching while also scrolling my smartphone which can serve as a remote for flipping the channel, aka BADD, Baseball Attention-Deficit Disorder). I’ll catch a few insights from the broadcast announcers if only to have an opening quip should a cute guy sit next to me at my local co ee hangout wearing one of their team caps. I also keep an eye on the Boston Red Sox, out of loyalty to certain family members and a best friend who all have an allegiance since birth to Fenway Park and who su er a Prozac-worthy depression when the Red Sox lose. I’m always ready with a consoling text, though [insert truth emoji] I don’t much care

Except for the World Series. In line with my Hollywood film piety, I’ll tune into any sport’s championship that could be preceded with “The Oscars of...” Watching the entirety of the best of seven series, I’m bound to root for a team’s home a liation by default: I know nothing of White Sox statistics and can’t name a

player, for example, but, hey, “I love the Windy City.” That said, in 2021, I found myself passionately cheering for the Atlanta Braves over the Houston Astros—cheaters shouldn’t win, pardon my nostalgia—whom they beat in clobbering fashion. My fever pitch in that 4-2 series reminded me I was once very into baseball.

At 14 I was a military brat living at Moody Air Force Base, in Valdosta, GA, where my father was base commander. I listened to the games on my Viscount Solid State 10 transistor radio while doing my homework. Later, thanks to Santa Claus, I’d watch evenings in bed on my Sears Wayfarer Solid State TV’s five-inch black-and-white screen. (Both the olive khaki transistor and the tiny TV still sit on my bedroom bookshelf). It was 1972 and my viewing penchant unexpectedly turned toward a prominent pennant when I came across a newspaper ad one afternoon for the 43rd All Star Game, which was being held in Atlanta that year.

Unbeknownst to my parents, I hastily sent away for two tickets—one for me and one for my best friend who lived next door—posting a handwritten letter, including a money order (“What’s a money order?”) which I obtained from the post o ce with savings from my black market sale of “like new” golf balls I stealthily netted from the golf course pond adjacent to our quarters using my dad’s fishing waders. Lo and behold, two weeks later, I received an envelope in the mail with an Atlanta postmark. Inside were two four-color, high-gloss printed, graphically mesmerizing, All-Star Game tickets, midhigh seating, behind home plate to the left: “Yay!”

There was only one problem. How were my friend and I going to get to Atlanta, more than 200 miles away from Valdosta?

It was over dinner the next evening—my parents and six siblings around a formal dining table that rivaled Delmonico’s for extravagance and, er, dishwashing—that I sheepishly told my parents I had sent away and procured tickets to the All Star game, “…uh, in Atlanta.” I recall my

boy of summer The Viscount Solid State 10 transistor radio and Sears Wayfarer Solid State five-inch television was the author’s sole connections to his childhood major league adventures.

mother had just taken a bite of her roast beef and had to swallow hard before asking “You did what?” while my father’s “You like baseball?” which I prefer to remember as an “excited utterance,” an exception to the hearsay rule, always admissible on Perry Mason, that I wasn’t on my way to being determinedly gay. Enter fate, stage left.

As it happened, my oldest brother had returned from the Vietnam War weeks earlier (with a Purple Heart, I should add, for injuries sustained after being shot down by enemy fire while piloting his aircraft). He volunteered—or was drafted by my parents, my memory is fuzzy here—to drive “the boys” the six-hour roundtrip from Valdosta to Atlanta.

While there would be no commendation medal for my brother’s heroic service in this mission, true to his patented approach in life, he engineered lemonade from lemons by arranging to meet up with his girlfriend for dinner while my friend and I were at the game. At the time, his girlfriend was a stewardess (cancel me, if you must, but I fondly remember that noun) on Southern Airways, the long-defunct regional carrier. As her duty roster would have it, she, too, would be in Atlanta that very evening with a two-day layover.

And so, on July 25, 1972, on a hot and humid afternoon, with the threat of rain in the evening forecast—ever the Eagle Scout, my brother fashioned homemade ponchos for my friend and me to wear in case of le déluge—the three of us piled into my his 1969 Ford Mustang Mach

1, the now classic car having also survived being in harm’s way despite my father not changing the oil during my brother’s entire tour of duty, much to the latter’s irritation. O we went to the first-ever All-Star game to be hosted at Atlanta Stadium.

Fortunately, fate interceded again that evening and it didn’t rain, not a drop. On the contrary, the stars were out that night in full force: Rod Carew, Willie Mays, Re ie Jackson, Johnny Bench, Carl Yastrzemski, Joe Torre, Willie Stargell and the game’s MVP, Cincinnati Reds’ Joe Morgan. And, in the starting lineup, playing right field for the National League All Stars, the one-and-only Hank Aaron, who hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning—“the most dramatic” home run of his career, Aaron would say after—to give the National League a 2-1 lead. (The game also saw the Pittsburgh Pirates’ right fielder Roberto Clemente, who tragically died in a plane crash a few months later on New Year’s Eve.)

During the game, my friend and I feasted on hot dogs, Coca-Colas and Cracker Jack (how baseball is that?) while bats were also cracking, the umpire calling balls and strikes over verdicts rendered by 53,000 yelling fans, all while the two of us eagerly awaited foul balls to find their way to our seats for the ultimate souvenir. Our favored team, the Nationals, ended up winning 4–3 in 10 innings. It was all very exciting.

oh, boy! The author in 1972, the same year as the historic All-Star Game in Atlanta.

The extra inning of this sporting classic, of course, only delayed our post-game rendezvous with my brother.

I hoped he’d been listening to the game on the car radio at our agreed upon meeting place in the stadium parking lot and not angry at the late hour. Finally making our way to the car, my friend scooted around to the driver side and we both climbed into the rear seats with adrenalized hellos, my brother and girlfriend cozy in the front listening to smooth jazz. “We made it,” I said. “How was dinner?”

The stars were out that night in full force: Rod Carew, Willie Mays, Reggie Jackson, Johnny Bench, Joe Torre, Willie Stargell, Carl Yastrzemski and the game’s MVP, Cincinnati Reds’ Joe Morgan. And, in the starting lineup, playing right field for the National League All Stars, the oneand-only home run king, Hank Aaron.

In Greek mythology the Fates, or Moirai, are the three goddesses who spin the thread assigning particular destinies to mortals at birth. They were among the stories my ninth-grade class was reading from Edith Hamilton’s classic book on mythology. The word moira means “share” of something—a meal, a plot of land or the spoils of war. I was about to witness firsthand that my brother’s girlfriend had something to share. Indeed, in keeping with the evening’s theme, it was the ultimate curve ball. Craning her head around the Mustang’s bucket seat, she presented her left hand, a sparkling diamond ring prominently residing on her fourth finger. My brother had proposed to her at dinner!

After our initial shock and awe, my friend and I heartily congratulated my bro and his now fiancée. Feeling somewhat upstaged, however, upon leaving the stadium parking lot for the

three-hour drive back to Valdosta, I steered the conversation to the baseball diamond, giving me and my friend the opportunity to recount the All Star game’s every facet—the roster of luminaries (if you include managers and coaches, 29 future Hall of Famers, my “redundant” rationale here revealed), Aaron’s thrilling home run, the din of the fans, our failed “minor league” attempt to secure two beers.

Despite all that glory, however, in the back of my mind I couldn’t stop thinking I was the first family member to know of my brother’s engagement, how crazy it was, how adult it was, how Hollywood it was. And though the evening’s dual excitement soon faded from sleep-inducing Mustang Mach 1 vibrations, layered under the radio’s soft tones, while my brother’s eyes were on the road, my heavy eyes were on the road that led us all there: my game plan for All Star mail order tickets that morphed into a mail order bride.

I like to think that the Fates’ three weaving goddesses stitched multiple wins for me well in advance of that Atlanta evening exactly 50 years ago, traditionally a golden anniversary, not yet diamond, still, the Fates’ fixed threads ensuring the safe rescue and return of my big-purple-hearted chau eur brother, the impromptu dinner that gave me a future sister-in-law and, to be sure, the victorious National League All Stars. A prized trophy this MVP, with due regard to Joe Morgan, still holds high. And all of it in ten innings: “Yay!”

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good on (wall) paper Jason O’Malley, a.k.a. Rural Modernist, the Kingston-based illustrator and graphic designerturned home goods genius, makes bespoke modern ceramics, pillows and now, yes, wallpaper.

Photograph courtesy of Rural Modernist

It’s Early, Let’s Eat!

Even in fog, these dinner options are worth the risk.

By Hal Rubenstein

There was a curious omission in a recent New York Times article about how an increasing number of venerated open all-night eateries in Manhattan are now stopping service at 1 or 2am, and others that previously stayed open until then are now closing their kitchens at 10pm. Some of the reasons given had to do with out-of-town residing employees having to deal with abbreviated hours of public transportation, customer safety in neighborhoods that’ve gotten sketchier and the increased intoxi cation and decreased civilized behavior of famished night crawlers. But there’s another category the article overlooked entirely. A growing percentage of many popular restaurants’ core clientele are dining earlier.

It’s all COVID’s fault, of course. With no o ce to shlep to, housebound folks got used to jumpstarting dinner just to break the monotony of multiple, consecutive Zoom calls. Many of us are still working isolated at home, so any opportunity to run out the door can’t come soon enough. Hence, the uptick in requests for tables before Lester Holt and David Muir can sign o on the evening news.

The upside of this is that dining out Upstate is no longer the drastic adjustment it used to be. Fi een years ago, while reviewing for New York magazine, I routinely made reservations between 8:30 and 9pm. So, when we rst started coming Upstate, long before the pandemic, it felt as if the Hudson Valley had supplanted Boca Raton as the bastion of those seeking early bird specials. Dining rooms were full at 7pm, seating ceased around 9pm. Today, despite the recent in ux of urban émigrés, things haven’t changed all that much, and it’s not so one can hit a spate of late night clubs and roo op bars popping up just o the

Taconic Parkway (when local buildings are rarely more than three stories high, roo ops lack the requisite drama), and more likely because, unless you live near a town like Kingston or Rhinebeck, most restaurants and cafes are at least 20 miles from your home via an unlit, curving, two-lane road. Dining earlier is more pragmatic, safer and healthier. But it better be worth the trip.

Last week, we drove to the Tavern at Rivertown Lodge in dense fog. It probably wasn’t the wisest idea, but there are two things Rivertown o ers that I can’t get at home. So, I can only equate my disappointment at learning that the house had put away their frozen Negroni

machine for the season to having your single mom admit that Herschel Walker is your biological father. The house’s icy gin, Campari, sweet vermouth and orange is

sure as Ryan Murphy’s Jeffrey Dahmer Netflix miniseries was a knee-slapping laugh riot, there’s no way you’ve sampled any of Chef EfrénHernández’s unexpected compositions unless you’re either his roommate or sous chef.

the most addictively delicious cocktail for miles. I would happily order it coming in from a blizzard and am pondering a petition to make it available year-round, though in this land without Uber you should never

As

order more than one and then be allowed to drive. The house sourdough bread, however, was still available, and despite all the lostpuppy-level wailing and hand-wringing that accompanied the sudden, and ba ing closing of Breadfolks, just months a er Food & Wine magazine deemed it the best bakery in the state (‘Thanks for making us such a success! Bye. Gotta go.’), no leavened dough on or o Warren Street can best the thick slices of this tangy, sharp, dense but porous bread. If they sold it by the loaf (I’ve asked numerous times), I’d drive in weekly for my x.

But Rivertown’s appeal goes way beyond mere bread and booze, provided you’re an adventurous diner. Its menu is deceiving, perhaps even daunting. In fact, this may not be the ideal place to take friends or family members who simply eat to live or are satis ed with slight variations on the familiar. Even for those who consider themselves gustatorily fearless, you’re as likely to know every ingredient on the menu as you are to get Wordle on the second try three days in a row. If, however, you frequently order dishes with ají amarillo, umeboshi glaze, pipián, anchoïade and hoja santa, I’m in humbled awe. As sure as Ryan Murphy’s Je rey Dahmer Net ix miniseries was a knee-slapping laugh riot, there’s no way you’ve already sampled any of Chef Efrén

duck dynasty Rivertown Lodge Tavern in Hudson; (opposite) don’t overlook the luscious duck breast with a yin-yang of cherry and radish over a lightly scented mustard sauce, writes the author of Chef Efrén Hernández’s inventive o erings.

Hernández’s unexpected compositions unless you’re either his roommate or sous chef.

Chef Hernández is one clever and gi ed fellow, whose drive for vibrancy nearly matches his ingenuity—so be brave and be rewarded. Endive is o en relegated to a supporting role in salads and appetizers, and yet combining it with pistachios, cacao and gouda winds up highlighting its refreshing nutty bitterness. Conversely, foie gras o en overtakes all attempts to harmonize with other ingredients but nds new appeal as a team player alongside a mélange of stewed Bartlett pears, fennel and pecans. Ricotta caught in the swirl of blueberry mostarda is sheer indulgence, like savory pudding for savvy grownups. For me, mackerel is a leap of faith. Sweet but oily, it’s easily my least favorite sh and the idea of it bathed in coconut milk and ají amarillo (a mild pepper with a mangolike fruity note) doesn’t read well. But it tastes so disorientingly good, I questioned Parker, our smart, charming waiter, as to whether the chef was holding out on an ingredient or two. Nope.

Grilled pork ribs boast neither a wet nor a dry rub, but a singularly delightful amalgam of sesame, jalapeño and umeboshi (a pickled Japanese plum). Tried once, it’ll tempt you every time you come here. We ordered it as an appetizer for the table so everyone could get one, otherwise we might’ve missed out on such standouts as a squid ink cavatelli that’s sparked by briny red crab and hoja santa, a peppery, savory leaf with a subtle smoky undertone somewhere between root beer and cocoa—I know. It reads weird. But as Evan Hansen says, “Words fail.” Your taste buds know better. You also don’t want to overlook a tender, juicy, luscious duck breast with a yin-yang of cherry and radish over a lightly scented mustard sauce. Wild blue sh is another strong sh choice made even more intense by a sauce based in anchovies and capers (anchoïade). It’ll satiate those partial to blue sh but may not win many converts, not like the succulent scallops, atop a bewitching swirl of parsnip buttermilk, under a shower of snack worthy fried turnips.

Desserts are decidedly not the house specialty. Occasionally there’s a damn good cobbler, but when I went, the choices were either a chocolate mousse, a dessert that has never made me dive in, and a clove ginger ice cream that’s working way too hard to be

unique (but then herbal ice creams are as foolhardy as Brooks Brothers trying to do streetwear. No customer will be happy with the outcome). Still, you got to admire a house that when you want to switch to a so drink because you’re driving, o ers Coca-Cola bottled in México, where they still bottle it with cane sugar instead of high fructose syrup and you suddenly realize why this drink used to be a second nature choice.

I’ve only one major complaint about Rivertown Lodge Tavern. It’s not about the service, which is warm and knowing. And it certainly has nothing to do with the food. It’s that the interior lighting is so dim you can’t see how visually exciting the dishes are coming out of Chef Hernández’s kitchen without turning on your iPhone’s ashlight. I’ll happily drive home in that fog that still hasn’t li ed. But what’s plated at Rivertown deserves stage lighting or a follow spot. Then again, I could forgive everything for a frozen Negroni.

RIVERTOWN LODGE TAVERN 731 Warren Street Hudson, NY 518 512 0954 RivertownLodge.com

The Corner at The Hotel Tivoli

I live near Chatham, a handsomely restored town that’s sadly lacking a distinct identity except during its annual lm festival, due to its Main Street of shops that feel randomly selected and the fact that the place pretty much folds in on itself by 5pm. I don’t live near Tivoli, but I’m more inclined to go there because, though it’s probably half the size, it radiates twice the charm. It’s obvious the moment you walk into The Corner at the Hotel Tivoli and are greeted like a returning friend

miller time Executive Chef Christopher Colby Miller (second, from left) and his senior crew in his winning kitchen at The Corner at the Hotel Tivoli.

by whomever is closest to the front door, regardless of whether they recognize you or not, that you’re welcome here. It’s obvious from eavesdropping on nearby conversations (you don’t have to be much of a snoop since sound travels easily in the restaurant’s three spare, well-lit spaces) that though the restaurant is there to service hotel guests, locals readily frequent The Corner. And it’s obvious from the delightfully oversized mid-century starburst chandeliers that dominate each interior dining area and the spacious, wide outdoor veranda, as well as the eclectic, hand-cra ed garb of the breezily engaging sta , that The Corner wants you to relax your shoulders and lighten up while you’re in their store.

Whether behind the bar, on the oor or in the kitchen, everyone at the Corner is invested in you enjoying your time here. That said, the menu, not unlike the one at Rivertown Lodge, is small and speci c. It doesn’t try to be everything for everyone. The chef, Christopher Colby Miller, has a de nite bent toward strong juxtapositions of local produce, root vegetables, Mediterranean, North African and Middle Eastern spices. The quality and skill of his preparations are never in question. It’s just whether you favor his choices. This past summer, Miller’s menu o ered several dishes—crunchy rock shrimp with watermelon

radish and avocado, mussels zapped by jalapeño and ginger and corn, basil and ricotta agnolotti—that were as irresistible as a perfect tan line. Based on my personal tastes, his fall menu, is a little more problematic.

For example, I’d gladly buy a bottle of the bracing harissa spiked salad dressing Miller has cra ed to toss sliced apples, goat cheese and radish over a bed of kale, but I have never understood why anyone would prefer this now popular green raw to spinach, romaine or arugula. Expertly cooked and scored beets lose some of their thrust because the surrounding slightly sweet labneh provides insu cient contrast. Strips of roasted squash ecked with pistachios are a welcome framing for burrata, but maple syrup dampens the delicate buttery richness of the cheese. The table next to ours, however, devoured the dish in minutes.

Much more successful are the entrées, some of which are justi ably popular holdovers from the summer menu, including spaghetti with cockles brightened by a savvy dash of preserved lemon, briny capers and a spark of chili. If you’re a fan of tagine, then you won’t be disappointed by chicken cooked with a gently aromatic blend of ras el hanout. Seafood stew is a hearty bowl of cockles, halibut, shrimp and mussels that might be even spunkier with a little less coconut milk and a little more red charmoula but it’s still a lot more vibrant than classic bouillabaisse. Thick slices of seared duck breast, accompanied by gs, rainbow chard, leeks and sweet potatoes could not be bettered. Simply super. And make sure to order the za’atar fries with extra sa ron aioli. The best desserts are the rich chocolate torte and vivid blood orange sorbet.

One notable bonus about The Corner is that its wide, expansive bar presents a great option for those who nd themselves hungry, solo and not in the mood for takeout. Each time we’ve dined in the bar room, there have been patrons perfectly content to be seated at the marble counter, in no rush to race through a meal, some with something to read, others ready to make conversation with the congenial bartender and some who rightfully believe good food makes for good company. Raw kale and I will never be friends. Chef Miller’s duck breast and I, however, are already BFFs.

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Daily Planet Diner

If you’re my contemporary, then you don’t remember growing up surrounded by strip malls featuring an endless succession of food chain eateries. The roadways weren’t overloaded with outposts of Applebee’s, Chipotle, Cheesecake Factory, Outback Steakhouse, Houlihan’s and Red Lobster. Instead, it was the golden age of uber diners. These establishments that commandeered every four-lane suburban turnpike, bore little relation to the original classic diners which resembled elongated Airstream trailers featuring a lineup of six booths under the windows on either side of the front door and a dozen seats along the counter. Rather, these were massive emporiums, clad in polished stainless alternating with lacquered panels in primary colors, framed in neon, seating at least 100, lit so they could be seen by John Glenn as he orbited Earth, boasting menus with nearly as many pages as a Jane Austen novel, o ering fare ranging from western omelets to matzoh ball soup, chicken chow mein,

moussaka, veal parmigiana and lobster thermidor. These grand diners were the goto option for breakfast, lunch, early family dinner, pre-drive-in, a er bowling league, post wedding reception where there hadn’t been enough food, après coital hunger pangs and bong induced munchies.

I remember my parents even dressed up to go to their favorite, Blue Bay Diner on Francis Lewis Boulevard in Fresh Meadows. It’s still in operation. Alas, many of them aren’t, done in by soaring real estate prices, dining habits elevated by more sophisticated options and tainted by the daunting proliferation of cheap, fast food. Lucky for us, there’s one that still thrives right o the Taconic Parkway on State Road 55 in LaGrangeville, NY.

For nearly two decades, starting back when we’d head up on Friday nights as Hudson Valley weekenders, we’ve dined regularly at Daily Planet Diner, waited on by succeeding members of the graduating classes at Poughkeepsie High School.

The décor used to be a cluttered, posterlled homage to Hollywood B movies of the ’40s and ’50s, awkwardly alternating with mounted vintage TV’s running clips from the early black and white days of television. The menu had guests marveling that the kitchen didn’t take up half the vast parking lot. The clientele on some nights seemed to comprise the rest of the student body who wasn’t working the oor,

their families and teammates, sitting at tables of 8, 10 and 16. We were o en the only deuce, and the only ones not dressed in sweatshirts and sweatpants. About half the patrons had ordered some form of breakfast for dinner. As for average portion size, an order of pancakes could handily

The diner’s clientele on most nights seemed to comprise of the rest of the student body from Poughkeepsie High School who wasn’t already working the floor.

feed a family of four and required about a quart of maple syrup. It took us years to admit that an order of skirt steak or a rack of ribs was more than enough for both of us. We originally stopped there because it was at a little more than the halfway mark of our trek. We continued to go there, not only because it was convenient and inexpensive, but because the food was really, sometimes impressively good.

Like so many other dining rooms, the pandemic clobbered Daily Planet Diner. But unlike many other Upstate eateries, it didn’t close for good. In 2021, it began seating people outside with a very limited menu. This year, a er a renovation that stripped all the kitschy retro artifacts for cleaner mid-century décor it has fully opened, and though the menu no longer requires a bookmark, it’s still extensive. The local teens have returned as servers, pleasant and apple cheeked. And the food is still pretty good. What’s so surprising is how much of the fare, particularly vegetables and sauces, doesn’t come out of a can or doesn’t taste recently thawed.

Much is fresh and freshly made. You might cock an eyebrow, but I don’t hesitate to order seafood paella, a rack of barbeque ribs, matzoh ball soup, chicken pot pie, pork chops with mashed potatoes or roast chicken in olive oil and garlic with cornbread and sausage stu ng

I’ve never ordered breakfast for dinner or at any time, though the wa es, omelets and apjacks seem to be as popular and

towering as ever, o en followed by a formidable ice cream sundae. Daily Planet not only has a full bar, but they make malteds, ice cream sodas, root beer oats and egg creams. Sandwiches, paninis and wraps are so full you will probably toss the bread because it’s in the way. In fact, the only item I’ve never ordered again at Planet is the burger. It’s not a great one, which one might expect. But the grilled salmon with mushroom risotto will surprise you. Now, can the latter come close to Daniel Boulud’s roasted arctic char at his one Michelin starred Le Pavilion? Come on, really? But Daily Planet’s entrée is $23 while Boulud’s char is the main attraction of a $135 prix xe dinner. Even better, you can savor your salmon while wearing sweatpants. Michelin would be wise to factor in stu like that, especially for those of us who eat early and then have a long drive ahead. Even in a fog.

DAILY PLANET DINER 1202 NY-55, Lagrangeville, NY 12540 845.452.0110 DailyPlanetDiner.com

sundae fun day Daily Planet Diner in Lagrangeville, NY is known wide and far for its formidable ice cream sundaes.

Couture Booze

Elevated Wine & Spirits lives up to its name.

By Anthony Giglio

If you happen to nd yourself at Elevated Wine & Spirits, in Hunter, NY, you’ll likely spot the ‘Negroni Nest’ perched atop a huge cork column. But let me back up. I drink a lot of Negronis. Quite o en when I order one someone nearby will ask, “What’s in that?” The answer: It’s a trio of spirits measured out in equal thirds: gin (I like Hendrick’s or Fords London Dry); bitter (I’m faithful to Campari); and sweet vermouth (the best, IMHO, is Carpano Antica Formula). You shake this holy trinity with ice and then strain it into a rocks glass over a block of ice the size of a Rubik’s Cube. Garnish with a ribbon of orange peel (properly exed over the top of the glass rst to spray orange oil across the surface of the cocktail).

Back to that Negroni Nest. It’s an eye-catching display in Elevated that lassoes together the trio of 50ml airlinesize bottles required for that ultimate cocktail—and it’s how I came to be chatting (OK, geeking out) with Elevated’s co-owner (and former bartender), Mark Landsman.

Back in 2020, Landsman and his business partner Michael Osterer took over Hunter Village Wine & Liquors and, with their expertise in all things booze, transformed it from a sleepy local liquor store into something way cooler. From the get-go, the new owners were adamant that the store remain ‘local’—“meaning we still stock Yellow Tail for people who want Yellow Tail,” Landsman explains, referencing the popular brand of under-$10 wines from Australia. But they also wanted to elevate the shop, to announce that they were

a cionados of high-end concoctions. Hence, the cool Negroni display. “It’s my favorite thing in the store,” Landsman reveals. “It works out perfectly proportionately that all you need to do is dump all three bottles (Tanqueray Gin, Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth and Campari Bitter) into a shaker or a glass and you’ve got a cocktail.”

In fact, so noteworthy was the Nest that it begat the ‘Manhattan Couch,’ a tiny metal sofa featuring two 50ml Bulleit Bourbons and one 50ml Carpano Antica Formula. All that’s missing is the requisite dash of aromatic bitters—I’d suggest Angostura— but Landsman gures cocktail lovers probably have that at home and if not, he’ll happily sell you a full bottle.

Among other special cocktails that Landsman promotes is the Boulevardier, a fancy drink especially be tting the winter season, when earthier brown spirits supplant lighter white ones. What is it exactly? See the Negroni instructions above but replace gin with your favorite bourbon.

“Look, my passion is bourbon,” Landsman says, a man a er my own heart.

“I think people are really into it right now, as well as Japanese whiskey—spirits they can sip that have a sense of story and place, that elicit a transportive experience.” He’s also been steering customers to interesting libations from other countries, such as a plum brandy made in a pot-still from Armagnac called Louis Roque La Vieille Prune Plum Brandy, which he describes as being “like a Cognac, but it has a bit of lingering butterscotch;

it genuinely warms you up on the way down. It’s a thorough sit-down-by-thecamp re kind of thing.”

Thanks to the New York’s Farm Distillery License, Landsman says, there are plenty of local bourbon producers up here—gin, too. “That’s the other direction I’m taking my people in,” he says, calling out Stout Ridge Farm Distillery in Marlborough, which makes Wagner’s New York Bourbon, which is cra ed by his business partners, Steve Osborn and Kim Wagner. Then there are the seasonally seasoned Isolation Proof Gins by Bovina Spirits in the Catskills; Neversink Spirits Gin from Port Chester (“not quite local, but great”); and Branchwater Gin from Red Hook, which also turns out a delicious pear brandy.

“I think it’s nice having a spirit with a sense of place,” Landsman says. And I think it’s exceptional having a local retailer with the foresight to know what his customers want, and the vision to take them well beyond the comfort of their very own nest.

You shake this holy trinity with ice and then strain it into a rocks glass over a block of ice the size of a Rubik’s Cube.

holy spirit “People are really into bourbon right now—a spirit they can sip that has a sense of story and place, that elicits a transportive experience,” says Mark Landsman, co-owner of Elevated Wine & Spirits in Hunter, NY.

Lisa Vollmer Photography

rubi cred Stay a while in the replace-is-always-on cozy environs of Rubi’s Cafe in Great Barrington; (below) The Inn at Kenmore Hall gives o major Downton Abbey vibes.

Berkshires Brrrr!

Love a good hygge moment? Same. These lairs know how to hygge. Whether they can pronounce it correctly is another story. |

By Jane Larkworthy

Rubi’s Cafe

Rubi’s hits the brunch trifecta with its excellent lattes, tastiest grilled cheese o erings (I mean, they are cheesemongers) and coziest seating due to their always-on replace.

264 Main Street, Great Barrington

Scout-House

One of the town’s newest boutiques, ScoutHouse o ers an impressive cashmere selection and enough chic home and kitchen o erings to unearth your latent Martha Stewart, but it’s their dark-but-su ciently-lit book room that might prompt you to cancel any and all a ernoon plans.

21 Elm Street, Great Barrington

Hart

In her new locale, owner Jamie Goldenberg can show o her divinely bespoke pillows and Japanese paper and cotton lampshades, as well as host classes such as Knitting for Beginners and the Mending Club. Does it get more hygge?

16 Railroad Street, Great Barrington

The Inn at Kenmore Hall

Can’t make it to the Cotswolds? No need when it’s right here in the Berks. Each guest room blends modernity with Downton Abbey vibes, which extend outdoors, thanks to its sprawling gardens and sloping hillside beyond—both ideal for a pre-dinner walk. 1385 State Road, Richmond

The Beauty Corner: Game On, Winter!

Suddenly, everything on my body is beginning to feel dry, tight and itchy. TMI? These products will make easing into the colder months, well, easier.

The Pass Muscle Gel, $55 (plus cannabis and state tax)

Within moments of rubbing this liquidy gel in, you can feel the intense heat of its menthol beginning to work. If you don’t have the time or means for a massage a er every workout, what’s in this jar is a formidable substitute.

Tel. 413.717.4239 | Fax: 413.717.4251 | mail@lennoxjewelers.com el. 413.717.4239 | Fax: 413.717.4251 | mail@lennoxjewelers.com | www.lennoxjewelers.com

Drunk Elephant’s Wonderwild Miracle Butter, $38

This super rich emollient formula sure lives up to its name. Use it on chapped lips or windburned cheeks or on your entire face if “dry” and “sensitive” are your skin’s most-Googled words.

Leland Francis Body Serum, $88

Just like a face serum, this sinks into skin more quickly than body lotion. Even better, its satin texture transfers to your limbs. Fortunately, unlike a face serum, you don’t need to use a moisturizer a er. Win-win.

CeraVe Healing Ointment, $11

Whether it’s itchy arms, scaly legs, dry hands or even an oven burn, I keep a tube of this super-duper thick salve by my side once sweater weather begins.

–JANE LARKWORTHY

Spa Awe

Rhinebeck’s chic Mirbeau outpost checks every single box. |

By Marco Medrano

What I love about Mirbeau Inn & Spa’s brand is, aside from being a cluster of New York-only destination spas, they fully understand global trends in treatment aesthetics and cutting-edge skincare, while still delivering boutique chic for us locals. This newest location in Rhinebeck is a custombuilt, modern-day chateau designed as a 49-room resort. And while it has terri c

members only The initial sensation as the door closes behind you at Mirbeau Inn & Spa in Rhinebeck is as if you’ve entered a chic private club or wellness speakeasy.

Jean-Baptiste Hilair, The Orangerie in the Jardin des plantes (detail), 1794. Ink, watercolor and white highlights. Bibliothèque nationale de France

curb appeal and presence, the real “sense of entry” happens when you saunter through their majestic double doors.

This is a place where you could (should?) spend a long, fast weekend without leaving the property. Yet, mere steps away, the town of Rhinebeck is inviting and tasteful. The initial sensation when the doors close behind you feels not unlike a chic private club or wellness speakeasy sans the hushed tones. And the rooms are new, well-designed and perfectly appointed for the plentiful of spa connoisseurs in this corner of the planet.

Boxes I checked with the Rhinebeck outpost of Mirbeau included close proximity to an Amtrak station, on-site parking and a fabulous restaurant (Willow by Charlie Palmer). Also, there are multi-use areas and cubbies that can roll with your vibe from Gucci sweats, a spa robe or your daywear-to-dinner-chic look, a (complimentary!) full tness schedule of trés modern practices

(yoga, Pilates, body conditioning, Barre, Tai Chi, traditional equipment and many more). And while the spa spills out to an enormous, year-round, outdoor inground hot tub whirlpool with private bar in the Aqua Terrace, you can also indulge in the Himalayan salt sauna or the amazing eucalyptus-infused steam room.

Now that you feel super comfortable here, let’s get ready to spa! There are 14

treatment rooms with replaces and private sound systems with club-like changing rooms. Signature body and facial services feature ELEMIS BIOTEC, hot (or cool!) stones and CBD oil. Some of my favorite services?

The Resveratrol Li ing Facial (re-volumizing), the Exotic Milk Ritual, ELEMIS BIOTEC Line Eraser and the Nature’s Healer Massage. For add-ons, a Hot Stone Melter and CBD oil. Or add an Oxygen Infusion and Light Therapy to your facial. The Wow Brow li , Men’s Foot (and leg) Treatment or the Men’s Estate Facial are just right for the modern dude.

Do check the long list of amenities and inclusions at Mirbeau. Luckily for us, they’ve been perfecting their resorts, treatments and hospitality for decades now. This is the right getaway or staycation adjacent. Yes, Mirbeau understands the game.

There are multi-use areas that can roll with your Gucci sweats vibe.

Dealer’s Choice

four-door, three-row “full-size” SUVs—a.k.a. the suburbanite’s version of a family-friendly tank— or the perfect vehicle for chau euring Timmy and all of his friends to soccer practice. The original Bronco was one of the rst SUVs ever made, designed by Ford’s vice president Don Frey (who also conceived the Ford Mustang, hence the name) with Lee Iacocca, approved for production in February 1964. These inimitable early Broncos are a far cry from what they’d later become: excessively boxy, highly commercialized and decidedly unappealing. So, Ford shelved the Bronco in favor of the Expedition to keep up with a growing cadre of SUVs such as the Chevy Suburban.

I’ve recently begun to play a monthly game of Texas Hold ’Em with a group of neighbors in the Hudson Valley. These poker nights are all in good fun—but that didn’t stop me from cracking open a tome of playing tips from none other than Phil Hellmuth, the professional luminary who holds the all-time record for most World Series of Poker tournaments won at a mindboggling 16. His cardinal rule? Exercising patience. It might sound obvious, but if you restrain yourself to playing the right hands, you exponentially increase your chances of walking away with a nice pot.

The Ford Motor Company can relate. When they folded the Bronco back in the mid-1990s, they were walking away from a series of hands that had gone cold. In America, a demand for compact SUVs had given way to the rise of

When the last Bronco rolled o the assembly line on June 12, 1996, at Ford’s Michigan plant, it was safe to assume that a cultural dynamo infamously tied to O.J. Simpson—thanks to the notorious, globally televised, low-speed police chase—was making a nal stop at the glue factory. However, Ford is back at the table and this time, they’re holding a pair of aces.

The Bronco, now in its second year, has made its triumphant return; this modern, sixth-generation, o -roading machine is in every way sleeker, ashier and more stylish than its predecessors. The announcement in 2020 precipitated a global supply chain crisis, but that didn’t stop vintage enthusiasts and weekend warriors from salivating. (Ford’s reservation site crashed shortly a er its launch, and dealers are still working through limited inventories.) In an alternate reality, I’d like to think it was Ford CEO Jim Farley, not new Denver quarterback Russell Wilson,

was memed into oblivion for staring into a camera and woodenly exclaiming, “Broncos’ country, let’s ride!”

What to make of this groundswell of support for a 24-year-old defunct brand? There are a few reasons. Today, you can count the number of two-door SUVs in production on one hand. Ready? Here it goes: the Land Rover Defender 90, Jeep Wrangler and…Ford Bronco. That’s it. In fact, the “compact SUV” designation has ballooned to include all kinds of mid-size SUVs, and manufacturers have followed suit, which is why all new Broncos and Bronco Sports are available in two- and four-door options. People—me very much included— also seem to gravitate toward vintage styles, which have survived the test of time (and the dark period that can best be summarized as commercialization run amok).

With a variety of trim packages, optional equipment and o -roading musculature— including a turbocharged three-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive, both standard—it’s clear that Ford is trying to go toe-to-toe with the Jeep Wrangler and Toyota 4Runner. It’s leaving both in the dust by building a better o -road capable vehicle in a dizzying array of models: while the base starts around $32,000, the Raptor con guration is more

than $68,000, and there are at least eight(!) con gurations in between. That’s not even counting the Bronco Sport, a smaller crossover version of the more muscular Bronco. How is this being done? One example is a thoughtful addition that both mudingers and beach-goers will love: just like a Wrangler, the doors are removable—but Ford has wisely designed the Bronco so that it can retain its mirrors. Golf claps. New for 2023 is a Bronco Heritage Edition, which should be music to the ears of people on an unending waiting list that will (hopefully soon) be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Your patience hasn’t been in vain; to my mind, this megawatt addition to the lineup is well worth the wait.

The Bronco Heritage Edition comes with a 300-hp turbo 2.3-liter with either a seven-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmission. Throwback styling includes a white grille, white roof and a set of 1960s-inspired wheels—harkening back to the original models that have since captured resto-modders’ hearts. And Ford’s also looking to the future, with reports alleging that a Bronco Hybrid could debut as soon as 2024. Count me all the way in. Broncos’ country— let’s ride! It’d be a nice ride to drive home in a er my Hudson Valley poker winnings.

People gravitate toward vintage styles which have survived the test of time.

Winter Is Coming

perennial is completely cut back to the ground and every single leaf put in a bag and unceremoniously carted away.

There’s de nitely merit to this approach, but there are now legitimate questions to these practices being the only way.

Garden design has gone through many di erent fashions and styles. An aesthetic of clipped hedges, straight lines and highly groomed beds has its place, but I’m excited that today, the trend is moving toward a more ecological approach. Designs are more conscious about sustainability and climate change, focusing on diversity, complexity, utilizing native plants and supporting native pollinators. So too has garden maintenance moved in a direction that attempts to echo natural systems.

I’d like you to see the fall cleanup of your garden and your preparations for winter not just as an endless drudgery of tasks, but to see yourself as both an artist and a steward, learning how to read the landscape and create a point of view.

Just about everyone agrees that garden design is widely considered to be an art form—but garden maintenance?

When American master Jackson Pollock drizzled paint onto his canvas without using “proper” brushstrokes, he blew everyone’s mind—so, too, did Dutch garden designer, Piet Oudolf, when he instructed to leave spent owers and seed heads in the garden over the winter, arguing that “brown is also a color.”

People were oored. Could we really do that? Here are some basic tenants of fall cleanup and why they’re done—plus some invitations to think about them di erently:

Leaf Clearing

When I graduated from The School of Professional Horticulture at The New York Botanical Garden more than a decade ago, I moved from Brooklyn up to the Hudson Valley and never looked back. I took a full-time gardening position at one of the largest estates in Dutchess County and fell completely in love with the view of the Catskills I saw every day. Currently living in Litch eld County, CT, nestled in the

Litch eld Hills, I’m

properties, as well as a homeowner myself. I’m constantly inspired by the natural beauty of our region, and that passionately informs both my design and gardening ethos. The goal is always to be in alignment with nature.

But I know, that for many of us, fall cleanup in the garden brings up visions of noisy backpack blowers burning through a landscape, leaving immaculate and sterile garden beds in their wake, where every

Leaves everywhere. Backpack blowers are actually a very e cient landscape management tool for clearing leaves, but we’re starting to question if we actually need to be so e cient in removing every single leaf. For example, from a sanitation perspective, removing the leaves from your garden does eliminate overwintering insects that can survive in the garden leaf litter; however, The Xerces Society actually recommends leaving leaf litter because it’s where many desirable insect pollinators overwinter. Leaves also act as nature’s mulch and fertilizer, insulating the ground

a designer for multiple

Our resident horticulturist breaks down everything we need to do for our garden before the big chill.

Pictures and Words by Mira Peck

and providing nutrients to the soil as worms and bene cial microbes break them down.

WHAT I DO: Knowing this, I leave the leaves in my larger shrub beds at home. The winter winds create humps and hollows of them, and in spring I rake them at to create an even layer. Ta-da! Free mulch. But yes, at this point I do remove most leaves from my more formal garden beds but keep the leaves on my property by feeding my hungry compost pile.

Perennial Cleanup

Cutting back all your perennials in the fall does save you time in spring, and it eliminates places for rodents to hide out and munch on your plants all winter—but leaving perennials up with their seed heads can also feed foraging birds and create beauty and inspiration during the stark winter months.

including boxwood with Wilt-Pruf, an organic anti-desiccant, or wrap them in burlap, to prevent both desiccation and deer browsing.

Deer/Pest Pressure

You have to know your site and understand your winter pest pressure; even if you have a yard full of native plants, it will still require intervention before winter.

WHAT I DO: Deer are a major issue for me, so I protect my small trees with wire fencing and spray my “deer candy” rhododendron with Plantskydd repellant.

Tubers & Bulbs

snow patrol Hurry! You have about a minute le to prep your home garden for Old Man Winter. We’re here to help. Hop to it!

WHAT I DO: I leave my echinacea owers on, even as they turn brown, so I can watch gold nches swoop in. I leave plants with sturdy stems or strong verticality such as Joe-Pye weed and panic grasses for “winter interest” because they look stunning as they glisten and sparkle on icy mornings. However, I do cut back all my oppy perennials and bushy clump grasses because voles are my nemeses and they love to hide there.

PRO TIP: Wait until perennials are yellow or brown before you cut them back; if they’re still green, they’re still photosynthesizing and feeding their roots.

Broadleaf Evergreens

Sometimes evergreens such as rhododendron su er leaf desiccation. This is when their leaves dry out in the wind and turn brown because the plant can’t pull moisture up from the frozen ground.

WHAT I DO: Make sure my broad-leaf evergreens are well hydrated going into winter. I even give them supplemental water if it’s a dry fall. In a professional setting, I might spray rhododendron and other plants

We all know fall is for bulb planting. Plant when the ground temperature is below 50 degrees, that’s when root growth starts and the bulbs can anchor in for the winter.

WHAT I DO: I love growing my own local, organic cut owers: da odils and Allium are pretty much safe from everything, but I protect my tulip bulbs from rodents by either planting them in chicken wire “pillows” underground, or I add Repellex systemic capsaicin tablets to the soil. I plant bulbs all the way up through Thanksgiving most years. I also insulate my garlic bed with a four- to six-inch layer of shredded leaves. (I shred the leaves rst by collecting a pile and then mowing over it with the lawn mower a couple of times. Leaves are so valuable—don’t throw them away.) I also make sure to dig up the tender tubers of my favorite dahlias and store them inside for the winter.

I know there’s a lot to do, but I encourage you to experiment with your normal fall cleanup routine. How can your maintenance practices be more aligned with nature? How can your landscape maintenance be an opportunity for artistic expression? It’s good to remember that just like every other time of year, winter garden preparations are just more dancing with nature—and maintenance decisions can also be artistic decisions.

Your environment—and our increasingly fragile planet—are de nitely worth it.

Small City, Big Dreams

By Rebecca Hardiman

by

I’m a transplant,” says Manhattan-born Connie Gri n, owner of gri n, a funky design, vintage fashion and home concept store in Great Barrington. But she doesn’t see her move as an escape from the big bad city. “Manhattan is my heart and this is my soul.”

More than a decade ago, Gri n was working in visual e ects and animation in New York City when she found herself at something of a crossroads. She boldly tapped her entire 401K and gave way to three years of wanderlust.

“I lived on a friend’s couch in Paris for a few months, stayed in Austin, traveled all over,” she says. En route, she met her now-husband and gri n co-owner Paul Giroux. The pair eventually settled in Great Barrington—“I used to visit a friend here all the time and found it beautiful”— and together set out to launch gri n.

Their eclectic store, turning 12 this November, stocks all manner of old and new fashion selections and home goods—from canvas jumpsuits and slouchy handbags to curious art and handcra ed quilts from India. Basically, as its proprietor puts it, “Whatever catches my eye. When people say the shop feels curated, that it’s not just a pat experience, that really makes me happy.” Gri n’s special a nity for vintage duds dates to her childhood. “I’ve loved second-hand shopping ever since my mother used to go, back in the ’60s,” she says. “What’s really nice about being in a small community is that I know a lot of the people whose items I’ve sold—there’s a back story—so I feel like I’m shepherding pieces.”

As word got out and the store evolved, gri n moved locations ve times(!) to its current,

Design connoisseur Connie Griffin swapped

energy for Great Barrington’s quieter buzz.

Photography

Matthew Sussman exclusively for The Mountains

primo spot on Railroad Street, abuzz with tourists, local souls and a steady stream of window-shoppers. Plus, Gri n jokes, it doesn’t hurt to be situated directly across from SoCo Creamery. Location is key, but she credits the bulk of gri n’s success to the community. “Even though it was originally a little bit out of the way, we have a great, loyal clientele—people who’ve been with us all the way through. And now we’re meeting new people, stunned they never knew about the store. We get both.”

Funny enough, what Gri n most loves about life in her adopted hometown is the exact inverse of what she most loves about big-city life. “In Manhattan, I’m energized just stepping out on the street. You open your door and you’re on, you’re in it,” she says. “In this part of the world, there’s a ton to do, of course, but you tap into a di erent energy. It’s rejuvenating, learning a part of yourself in the quietness and re ection. I’m not a maker of anything, but I so appreciate that mindset—all the local artists, farmers, chefs. There’s a wonderful creativity here, just expressed in a di erent tempo.”

bless her soul Connie Gri n, (opposite) owner of gri n, a delightful vintage fashion and home concept store in Great Barrington, opens up: “NYC is my heart; this is my soul.”

Sage Rage

By Mitch Rustad

Given all the bad juju of the past few years—global pandemics, endless quarantines, political toxicity, shall I go on?—who isn’t in the market for any way possible to feel better? And while any therapist, life coach or guru will tell you to think more positively, eat healthier, get wellness treatments, do yoga and whatever might help you chill out and nd some peace, what about putting some loving attention into your living space?

Clearing out bad, negative energy in your home or apartment isn’t airy fairy dust stu . For many, it’s a practical—and even essential—part of living their best life. And one of the oldest and most frequently used methods of cleansing a space is burning sage, a perennial herb in the mint family known for its heavy oral aroma.

“Saging and energy cleansing is a form of puri cation, and to balance the energy

smoke signal “You don’t need a lot of smoke to be e ective in saging your home,” says Jennifer Llewellyn.

ARKET S AVVY | U NPARALLELED T ALENT

of the space, particularly since we’ve been spending so more time in our homes,” says Jennifer Llewellyn, chief wellness o cer of Majestic Hudson Lifestyle, a spiritual boutique and wellness sanctuary in Katonah, NY.

All you need is a predried bundle of sage—get it in local store or online—and before you get started, take a minute or two to meditate and set a positive intention for your space, yourself and everything within it. “Everything has energy,” says Llewellyn, who does private sage house cleanings, readings, crystal healings and spiritual attunement for clients throughout the Hudson Valley, “so it’s important to set the highest possible intention.”

Here’s a quick ‘how to’ on properly lighting the sage: Hold the sage as far from the end you are burning as possible. Hold the bushel at a slight angle, light it, allowing the ame to burn for about 10-20 seconds

and then gently blow out the ame until the orange embers appear on one end.

“You don’t need a lot of smoke to be e ective,” says Llewellyn. “You don’t want it burning, you want a gentle amount of smoke.”

More tips: Use a tray or bowl to catch the ashes, start from the main entrance and be sure to go from corner to corner (“Nooks and crannies are important, that’s where the negative energy may linger,” Llewellyn says) and then back to the center of each room.

Be prepared to endure the noise of your smoke alarm going o during the session (if it gets extra smokey) and if possible, pick a nice, sunny day—you de nitely want to open all your windows. “If you don’t open your windows, the negative energy is just bumping o the walls like bumper cars, you want to let it escape,” says Jenn Nowicki, also known as Amarellys, an intuitive healer who does personal energy readings at the

Awareness Shop, a metaphysical shop in New Paltz. She also does sage house blessings, reiki and other healing therapies.

Once you’ve saged your entire home, you’ve still got some work to do. “It’s also very important that you ll the space a erwards with positive energy,” says Nowicki, who suggests using sacred mists or burning blessed candles. “You don’t want to leave a vacuum for the negative energy to return, you want to ll it with positive energy, love and light.”

One last thing: Llewellyn suggests doing a closing ritual, such as ringing a chime or bell to conclude the cleansing, and you even might want to sprinkle a pinch of Himalayan salt outside the front door. “Salt puri es the aura in general,” Llewellyn says, “so it will help all energies be cleaned with positivity.”

How o en should you sage your space? “It’s a very personal thing,” Nowicki says. “I clean my own home weekly, but at minimum I’d tell people to use sage once a month. I normally tell my clients, especially if they work at home in a high stress job, to sage as much as possible.”

“If you don’t open your windows, the negative energy is just bumping off the walls like bumper cars, you want to let it escape.”

How To Spend $100: Walmart

Navigating the Country’s Retail HQ like a Native

By Robyn Perry Coe

Iwas raised on Walmart, then avoided it like country music. However, now I’m paying my own taxes. Put your peaky blinders on. And, under no circumstances, do not take children. Let’s spend $100—you’ll even get $1.56 back for your e orts.

No.1: FLAT TIRE FIX

I returned to Walmart through the back door. They found a screw in my tire and xed it for 15 bucks at. $15

No.2: TIRE MOUNTING

Get your snow tires switched out at

Walmart and save $100. If you don’t have any snows, order them today and consider an enameled iron Dutch oven—a lifetime of soup for $39.98. $44

No.3: FABRIC WATERPROOFING SPRAY

You’ll need this Upstate, for everything. Buy a spare for your car seats. Dang. I wish I had thought of that before. $5.97

No.4: POST-HALLOWEEN CANDY

Living on a Halloween street requires the annual investment of two hundred bucks in candy. No one mentioned this in escrow. Thankfully, that’s behind us now and we can spend a reasonable amount of money on those irrestible mini chocolate bars. $13.24

No.5: COLD & FLU REMEDY

Be prepared for Sni es Season. You can never really have enough of this stu on hand. $8.87

No.6: MERINO WOOL SOCKS

Snow tires for your feet. $7.88

No.7:

BAKED PORK RINDS

The ultimate keto snack is the ultimate Walmart snack. Enjoy them with a $1.99 kombucha and you won’t need to eat that candy on the way home. $3.48

aka: pit stop In

On Route 66, in notquite-Hudson, with an entrance on 66— even though the ‘house’ is around the corner, you’ll nd Quinnie’s. In your rst attempt, you could easily miss it and need to double back.

But don’t—under any circumstances—miss the opportunity to go to Quinnie’s. Experiencing this place is not unlike stepping into a Brooklyn hipster haven. And that’s precisely

the point. Here’s what you’ll remember most: The sandwiches are an art form— serious and whimsical and all kinds of nostalgic. Its eclectic menu includes tasty chicken salad sandwiches (with the skin tucked in) as well as Toad in a Hole (egg, salami, cheddar and broccoli rabe) deliciousness. All of the delicious sandwiches are served on fresh-baked breads. Drinks (Fentiman’s Ginger Beer, Topo Chico),

the sides (particularly Bits and Bobs: mortadella, cheddar and pickled peppers) and the larder lled with Beth’s Farm Kitchen Jam from Chatham and Kewpie Mayo are well worth the trip.

You can eat inside or grab a picnic table outside. Your number stand makes the food magically appear from one of the happy-to-help-you servers. Brooklyn in the mountains? I can get used to this.

brooklyn heights Experiencing Quinnie’s is not unlike stepping into a Brooklyn sandwich haven. And that’s precisely the point.

Big League Pickleball

Former MLB pitcher reveals a big secret about his new favorite Outdoor activity.

By Jonah Bayliss

Ican feel a small bead of sweat nervously forming on my brow. My warmups are complete. The butter ies are beginning to congregate in my stomach, accompanied by a rollercoaster of self-doubting thoughts and positive a rmations.

Am I as good as everyone else? I’ve put a lot of work in! Do I belong here? I’ve got this! Am I ready? OK, I’m ready!

“Jonah, you’re in!”

No, I’m not closing game seven of the World Series for the New York Yankees—a dream that isn’t so implausible given the fact that I am, in fact, a former major league baseball pitcher—this, friends, is pickleball.

It’s funny to me to think that, though I’ve actually pitched in Yankee Stadium, Wrigley Field and countless other fabled gladiator arenas of sport, I nd myself just as worked up to step on the pickleball court than to run to the pitcher’s mound.

When my professional baseball career was over, I went searching for a physical activity that would ll that void of competitive camaraderie with its ups, downs, laughter and frustrations, while o ering feelings of accomplishment and enjoyment.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think the answer would be pickleball. I mean…seriously?

The design of the game and its unwritten code of ethics lends the perfect concoction for anyone to try and enjoy. I have le many pickleball games with blisters and road rashes and spent other games with a solo cup in my hand—and equally enjoyed both.

As Nancy Fedder, a former magazine industry executive and current uno cial pickleball ambassador for Girl Pickleball (#GPB) says, “If there’s any one thing that can bring people together, it’s pickleball.”

As a pickleball enthusiast and regular player, Fedder says she continues to be fascinated by

the sport’s uniting power. “You wouldn’t believe the groups of insanely di erent people who come together to play in Central Park.” The game or is-it-a-sport? has steered her to an expanded circle of friends and a healthier self.

It’s worth noting, however, that it may not be all fun and games. “You have to stretch before playing pickleball,” Fedder warns and follows it with her cautionary tale of the time she tore her Achilles tendon.

Amy Barr, a writer with a home Upstate, also shares some personal woes from the court. Her family installed a court at their home, which has become a centerpiece for family gatherings and holidays. It was on that very court, where they nd so much joy, that Amy found herself with a broken wrist.

And then there’s numerous stories like that of Gina Menza, a yoga instructor who, trying pickleball for the very rst time, broke her wrist backpedaling on a court that was improperly swept. But, she said, “the rst 40 minutes were spectacular.”

For any fence-straddling picklers out there, this article is meant as a friendly reminder to make sure your court is clear and don’t feel embarrassed to stretch for your “exaggerated ping pong” match. It’s certainly not intended to deter. A er all, you may miss out on fun, healthy exercise and new friends.

Pickleball may not quite be Yankee Sadium, but it’s in the ballpark. I would know.

pickle tickle “If there’s one thing that can bring people together, it’s pickleball, “ says pickleball a cionado Nancy Fedder.

SAVE THE DATE CULTURE VULTURES

For more go to themountainsmedia.com

2-3 Bethlehem Christmas Town Festival

Bethlehem, CT The 41st anniversary festival includes cra s, a hayride, a scavenger hunt and a 5K “Santa Made Me Do It” road race. ChristmasTownFestival.com

2-4

Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas

rsvp

THROUGH DECEMBER 31

Dark Matter: The Unseen Work of Josh Simpson Salmon Falls Gallery Shelburne Falls, MA Check out the riverside atelier where the famed glassblower creates otherworldly planets and more through December 31. salmonfallsgallery.com/exhibits

Stockbridge, MA Norman Rockwell’s beloved village goes extra-quaint with decorations, performances, cra s, house tours and a vintage-auto parade. StockbridgeChamber.org/visit Norman Rockwell, Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas. From the Permanent Collection and on view at Norman Rockwell Museum. © 1967, Norman Rockwell Family Agency

3 The Nutcracker: A Symphonic Performance

Fisher Center Annandale-on-Hudson, NY Hold the creepy mice! Maestro Leon Botstein conducts a purely orchestral version of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece. FisherCenter.bard.edu

Athens Victorian Stroll Athens, NY BYO skates to the rink at Riverfront Park, then snack and shop. athenscultural center.org/ victorian-stroll

3 J. Hoard

Mass MoCA North Adams, MA The Grammy-winning songwriter shares his love of Black hymns and Broadway standards in the art complex’s Club B10. MassMoCA.org/calendar

2022 Winter Walk Warren Street, Hudson Stroll the mile-long street amid art installations, performances and reworks. HudsonHall.org/ event

9 Beaverland

Hudson Hall, Hudson Leila Philip, author of Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America, explains how the buck-toothed pondbuilders got a bad rap. HudsonHall.org/events

4 The Sound Of Music Sing Along

Ridge eld Playhouse Ridge eld, CT Of course you know all the words? If not, your kids will cue you. ridge eldplayhouse.org/event/ the-sound-of-music-sing-along/

december

10th Annual Snowfl ake Festival

Kingston An invitation to holiday fun, featuring jugglers, re-twirlers, ice carving, tree-lighting and, of course, a visit from you-know-who.

VisitUlsterCountyNY.com/events

3-4

Holiday Marketplace

Berkshire Botanical Garden Stockbridge, MA Spring for a unique designer wreath or let your children cra one (when they’re not huddled by the camp re devouring s’mores). BerkshireBotanical.org/events

Winterlights at Naumkeag

Stockbridge, MA The historic “Birchwalk,” a delicate braid of stairways and grottos, is done up in thousands of twinkling lights through January 7. Stockbridge Chamber.org/events

Reported by Sandy MacDonald

13 Jorma Kaukonen

The Egg, Albany A founding member of Je erson Airplane shares his blues/folk songs and stylings. TheEgg.org/events

11 Grand Piano Trios— Beethoven’s “Ghost” and “Archduke” Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington A trio of acclaimed musicians— on piano, violin and cello—rock the century-old theater with thunderous classical music. Mahaiwe.org/event

Strings Attached with John Pizzarelli & Jessica Molaskey Mahaiwe Performing

Arts Center, Great Barrington

The cabaret duo gets an assist from a “Djangoesque” ensemble of guitars, violin and bass. Mahaiwe.org/event

12-13 Nikki Glaser

The Egg, Albany The uninhibited comedian promises “One Night with …” but delivers four (very bawdy, very funny) shows. TheEgg.org/events

Hudson Valley Gingerbread Competition

Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz, NY

Most atmospheric? Most modern? You be the judge— but no nibbling. Mohonk.com/events

16-18 A Christmas Carol Fisher Center

Annandale-On-Hudson, NY You have yet to see this version: a bold premiere from avantgarde director Anne Bogard and the SITI Company. FisherCenter.bard.edu

january 2023

Ski Sundown Winterfest

New Hartford Ever craved a chance to dress up as a movie character— on skis? When not showing o your moves on the white carpet, take a break to watch ice sculptors at work. SkiSundown.com/event

17 Kwanzaa

Hudson Hall, Hudson Operation Unite NY hosts a party with kids’ cra s, dancing and drumming to celebrate the seven principles of Kwanzaa. HudsonHall.org/events

14 Met Opera Live in HD: Giordano’s Fedora

Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington

Bring your hanky to Umberto Giordano’s electrifying opera of love and betrayal, murder and revenge. If the second-act tenor showstopper ‘Amor ti vieta’ doesn’t make you misty-eyed, the love duet and Act Three death scene will likely bring you to tears. Mahaiwe.org/event

Jump-Start Your Memoir: Write It from the Heart Kripalu

Center

Stockbridge, MA NPR commentator Nancy Slonim Aronie leads a ve-day workshop designed to elicit your authentic voice. Kripalu.org/ presenters-programs

28 The Vertical Challenge

Ski Butternut, Great Barrington

A no-cost chance to pit yourself against other skiers and snowboarders your age, while enjoying free snacks and music. SkiButternut.com/calendar

27 ODC/Dance UAlbany Performing Arts Center, Albany

This ten-member San Francisco troupe presents three female-created works that ri on the environment and Euclidean mathematics. Fun! TheEgg.org/events

15 Jack DeJohnette with Jon Batiste & Matthew Garrison UPAC, Kingston Jon Batiste, former musical director of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert , joins legendary jazz drummer DeJohnette and bassist Matthew Garrison. Bardavon.org/shows

mode | live music The Hills Are ALive

Here’s your next live band trek up the Hudson river. |

Music, like everything and everyone, needs space to breathe. And space is something we have in spades up here in mountain country. It was Beethoven himself who once said, “No man loves the country more than I. For do not forests, trees, rocks re-echo that for which mankind longs?” I know…impressive.

I can imagine early humans concocted our rst melodies from the mimic of birdsong,

by Sean McAlindin

or a soul-baring reply to the wind, as we wandered our way through the wide-open world. Naturally, this wild symphony has attracted musicians to higher ground for ages.

Once the old-time entertainment of Catskill mountain lodges faded away, the rst enduring in ux of aural culture upstate began in the 1960s when folk-pop icons including Bob Dylan le urban trappings for a simpler life of songwriting in the woods.

Jon Batiste

As one ripple in the latest wave of music lovers to chase the mountain muse, I’m pleased to report an abundant array of regional venues have surfaced in the sonic wilderness. Ready for the tour?

The clickety-clack of the railroad track gradually dwindles as we reach our rst stop in Beacon. We cruise by Dogwood on East Main Street in search of our next favorite

unknown artist. Then we hit Towne Crier Café for rootsy acts like ddler extraordinaire Eileen Ivers (Nov. 25, 8pm), songwriting royal Sloan Wainwright and friends (Dec. 10, 8pm) and contemporary Hudson Valley troubadour Dylan Doyle (Jan. 27, 8pm).

Crossriver in Marlboro, jazz and more abounds at the barn-like Falcon Theater with Dawes-esque supergroup

If hard rock is your jam, beat against the current to The Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie for metal mayhem with Jackyl, Alter Ego and Everwar (Feb. 5, 6:30pm). Over the hills and through the woods to Daryl’s House we go for a date with retro-pop icon Marshall Crenshaw (Dec. 14, 7pm), NYC punk poet Willie Nile (Dec. 16, 8pm) and Boston folk rocker Adam Ezra (Jan. 27, 8pm).

Our next stop is Kingston where divey Tubby’s hosts underground shows with

(Brighten Beat) RYAN NAVA; (Ivers) BRIAN MULLIGAN

Fantastic Cat (Nov. 25, 7pm) and the world music of The Brighton Beat (Dec. 3, 7pm).

Adam Ezra Group

The Brighton Beat

Eileen Ivers

Become Y

gems such as Brooklynites Wild Pink and Purchase picker Trace Mountains (Nov. 25, 7pm). Nearby Ulster County Performing Arts Center boasts a treasure trove of sounds including jazz-pop luminaries Jon Batiste, Jack DeJohnette and Matthew Garrison (Dec. 15, 8pm).

Hiding in the neighboring hills, the hamlet of Woodstock is full of fabulously intimate venues. Levon Helm Studios welcomes neosoul originator Meshell Ndegeocello (Dec. 4, 8pm) and boundary-pushing bluegrassers Nafesh Mountain (Dec. 23, 8pm). Colony showcases Laura Jane Grace of Florida punks Against Me! (Nov. 27, 8pm) and blues belters Jane Lee Hooker (Dec. 9, 8pm).

Avalon Lounge in Catskill features a variety of DIY acts such as Philadelphia trio Hotel Neon (Dec. 10, 8pm). From there we head east on Route 23 into the Berkshires to The Egremont Barn for the foot-stomping freak folk of our very own Bella’s Bartok (Nov. 23, 7:30pm). And don’t miss a visit to Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in their hometown of Great Barrington for world-class concerts with folk rock forecasters Deer Tick (Dec. 9, 8pm) and Django-inspired Strings Attached with John Pizzarelli & Jessica Molaskey (Dec. 17, 8pm).

At last, we dip south of the border to Litch eld County for a hippie reunion with Connecticut jam rockers Max Creek (Nov. 25, 8pm) at the wooden cathedral of In nity Hall in Norfolk. As you can clearly see, the hills up this way are very much alive and well with the sound of music. See you at the shows.

meshell my belle Levon Helm Studios welcomes critically-acclaimed, neo-soul originator Meshell Ndegeocello in December.

Waldorf Education in the Berkshires for Toddlers through Teens.

The New Must-Haves, Must-Dos, must-Sees

From Indian food in Kingston to Frames in Woodstock, it’s all here. |

Here are a few of my favorite things. Most of my shout-outs have websites or Instas, but a few are so new that they’re just a smidge about a whisper. It’s time to lean in.

Calcutta Kitchens

Quietly but deliciously, Calcutta Kitchens opened its doors in Kingston this past spring; shockingly, until now, the bustling town that’s o en referred to as “Brooklyn North” didn’t have an Indian restaurant and Aditi Goswami

By Abbe Aronson

didn’t think she was necessarily lling that vacancy. With her simmer sauces, spices and chutneys (widely available at regional farmers’ markets) Goswami found herself on the receiving end of a serendipitous opportunity when her search for a commercial kitchen ended with this bright, cheery space that could double as storefront.

In addition to her nationally sold packaged products, Goswami took the plunge and began to cook daily, o ering takeout meals in the form of vegetarian- and non-veggie ti ns (light a ernoon snacks both savory and sweet), chai and other beverages, frozen items packed to go to heat up at home and a smattering of well-edited South Asian groceries, some of which are truly hard to nd (if not impossible to nd) here in the area. They also recently launched a Supper Club series.

CALCUTTA KITCHENS 448 Broadway, Kingston CalcuttaKitchens.com

‘Mending The Line’

This moving, soon-to-be released motion picture starring Succession’s Brian Cox made its world premiere at the Woodstock Film Festival as the opening night feature and su ce to say, there were few dry eyes in the house. It tells the story of veterans who attempt to heal their PTSD via y shing. Life and art melded into one on September 29 on the Esopus Creek, as local Hudson Valley veterans were treated to a y- shing trip by the team from the lm in conjunction with Warriors and Quiet Waters, an organization that takes empowers and thanks vets via outdoor experiences. Catskill Out tters led the trip and vet Steve Ramirez, who wrote the book Casting Forward, was also part of the memorable excursion. At press time, no release date. Instagram.com/MendingtheLine

Phoenicia Soap Co.

A er years of being the darling of local farmers markets, Phoenicia Soap is showcasing

an expanded line of personal care products in this shiny new locale, complete with makers classes. In other words, shoppers can get their hands— well, clean—making green beauty products on-site. Along with soap, the shop o ers an array of locally sourced balms, whips and specialized products—most made from herbs and owers grown in the Hudson Valley for everything from warding o poison ivy to soothing sore joints. Colorants and ingredients that harm people, water and land? No thanks, not here. Minimal packaging, too.

PHOENICIA SOAP CO. 5371 NY-28, Mount Tremper, NY PhoeniciaSoap.com

Leigh Kelley Skin Studio

Glam-o-Rama! Leigh Kelley Skin Studio is a beautiful hidden sanctuary in rock’em sock’em Kingston, totally still under the radar of many discerning beautyphiles, but expect that

(Calcutta Kitchens) TARA HOLMES; ( Mending The Line )BAHRAHM FOROUGHI; (Phoenicia Soap) PHIL MANSFIELD

oh, calcutta Aditi Goswami, Kingston’s accidental Indian foods specialist with Calcutta Kitchens, recently launched a supper club series.

Home

25 Railroad St. Great Barrington, MA railroadstcollective.com railroadstcollective

to change very soon. The studio was founded by master esthetician Leigh Kelley, who brings her expertise to the Hudson Valley a er more than a decade of working in luxury skincare in Manhattan and Los Angeles. As Leigh likes to say, she practices results-driven, cruelty-free skin magic. Ta-da!

Leigh Kelley Skin Studio 192 Pine Street, Kingston LeighKelleySkinStudio.com

Rural Modernist

If I told you that Jason O’Malley, a.k.a. Rural Modernist, has created custom wallpaper for one of the most iconic addresses in pop culture history, you wouldn’t even bat an eye. The illustrator/graphic designer-turned home goods genius has been making bespoke modern ceramics, pillows, art and more in his Kingston studio and recently added wallpaper to the mix, including custom designs and ready-to-buy options such as his

“Neo Victorian Nu Wave” pattern that features portraits of Debbie Harry, Annie Lennox, Morrisey and Siouxie Sioux.

RURAL MODERNIST RuralModernist.com

Catskill Art Supply Framing

A classic stop for paper, pens, paint et. al., Catskill Art Supply quietly turned their Woodstock spot into a framing-only locale and Emily Roberts-Negron is the stu of art collector’s dreams. Not only does she have a truly impressive assortment of frames for every budget, but this creative also has vision Emily’s artful eye and sweetly strong opinions of how you should frame that poster or that oil painting is guaranteed to elevate your walls.

CATSKILL ART SUPPLY FRAMING 35 Mill Hill Road, Woodstock CatskillArt.com/Framing

wall of sound Rural Modernist’s wallpaper options include a pattern

featuring portraits of Debbie Harry and Annie Lennox.

hospitals

(Oncology)

The Dyson Center for Cancer Care

45 Reade Place Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 845.214.1830

NuvanceHealth.org

Dyson o ers an impressive range of leading-edge cancer treatments.

Hudson Valley Cancer Center 400 Westage Business Center Drive Fishkill, NY 12524 845.896.8510

HudsonValleyCancerCenter.com Locations in Poughkeepsie, Fishkill and Yorktown

Cancer Center at Berkshire Medical Center (BMC) 725 North Street Pitts eld, MA 01201 413.447.2000

BerkshireHealthSystems.org

(Pediatrics)

Hudson Valley HospitalPediatrics 35 South Riverside Avenue Croton-On-Hudson, NY 10520 914.271.2424

NYP.org

Columbia Memorial Pediatrics 813 Warren Street Hudson, NY 12534 518.828.4125

ColumbiaMemorialHealth.org

(Urology)

Columbia Urology

Columbia Memorial Health 71 Prospect Avenue Suite 190 Hudson, NY 12534 518.822.0746

ColumbiaMemorialHealth.org

Medical Group Hudson ValleyUrology

1985 Crompond Road Building D Cortlandt, NY 10567 914.739.1219

NYP.org

Garnet Health Medical Center - Catskills, Harris Campus 68 Harris-Bushville Road Harris, NY 12742 845.794.3300

GarnetHealth.org

must-have survival guide

cinemas

NCG Cinema Kingston

1300 Ulster Avenue Located in Hudson Valley Mall Kingston, NY, 12401 845.481.7474 NCGMovies.com

Spotlight Cinemas Hudson 350 Fairview Avenue Hudson, NY 12534 518.822.1049

SpotlightCinemas.com

Story Screen Beacon Theater 445 Main Street Beacon, NY 12508 845.440.7706

StoryScreenBeacon.com Quaint, cute theater showing rstrun and vintage lms, with gorgeous interiors, serving beer, wine and tasty popcorn.

Triplex Cinema 70 Railroad Street Great Barrington, MA 01230 413.528.8885 TheTriplex.com

Regal Galleria Mall 2001 South Road Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 844.462.7342 RegMovies.com

Callicoon Theater 30 Upper Main Street Callicoon, NY 12723 845.887.4460

TheCallicoonTheater.com With 350 seats, this historic art deco movie theater recalls a bygone era of the Western Catskills.

Orpheum Theatre 156 Main Street Saugerties, NY 12477 845.876.2515

UpstateFilms.org

The Lyceum Cinemas 15 Old Farm Road Red Hook, NY 12571 845.758.3311

GreatMoviesLowerPrices.com

AVE Electric 3142 NY-28 Shokan, NY 12412 845.679.9473 AveHomeServices.com

Holdridge Electric PO Box 33 1189 Co Road 23B Leeds, NY 12451 518.943.3229 HoldridgeElectric.com

DS Electric of Hudson Valley 24/7 Emergency Service Available 845-240-1235 DSElectric.org

Gable Electric 5 Westview Road, Pitts eld, MA 01201 413.443.4082 Gable-Electric.com Commercial and industrial wiring solutions for any size business or building and serving Berkshire County for more than 25 years.

Woodstock Electric Heating & Cooling 41 Cole Bank Road Saugerties, NY 12477 845.389.2014 WoodstockElectricNY.com

SK Electric 271 NY-9D Beacon, NY 12508 845.742.7059 SKElectricllc.com

Summit Electric Serving Sullivan County White Lake, NY 12786 845.428.4223 WiringBySummit.com

Bethel Animal Clinic

43 Dr. Duggan Road Bethel, NY 12720 (845) 583-4117 VetEyes.com

Animal Hospital of Sullivan County 667 Harris Road Ferndale, NY 12734 845.292-6711 AHofSC.com

Rhinebeck Animal Hospital 6450 Montgomery Street Rhinebeck, NY 12572 845.876-6008 RhinebeckAnimalHospital.com

Woodstock Animal Hospital 12 Speare Road Woodstock, NY 12498 845.679.8724 WoodstockAnimalHospital.com

Wood Hill Veterinary Clinic 650 NY-295 Old Chatham, NY 12136 518.392.6224 WoodhillVetClinic.com

Dutchess County Animal Hospital 406 Manchester Road Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 845.452.1316 MyDutchessCountyAnimal Hospital.com

Animal Emergency Clinic of the Hudson Valley 1112 Morton Blvd, Kingston, NY 12401 845.336.0713 AECHV.com

Saugerties Animal Hospital 163 Ulster Avenue Saugerties, NY 12477 845.246.6150 SaugertiesAH.com

Pet’s Reward Veterinary House Calls (available 24 hours) 41 Burnett Street Kingston, NY 12401 845.339.2516

electricians

veterinarians

open

Be Fit Studio

250 Main Street

24 hours

Saugerties, NY 12477 845.616.7012 BeFitStudio.club Open 24 hours

Dingee’s Towing 6 North Clinton Street Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 845.483.1000 Towing and roadside assistance

Lowe Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning 101 Smith Avenue Kingston, NY 12401 845.331.2480

Je LowePlumbing.com 24 Hour Service

Market 32 555 Hubbard Avenue Pitts eld, MA 01201 413.442.7696

You’ll nd everything from fresh produce, meats, sh, hot foods, pastries and even fresh owers, any time, all the time.

Palace Diner 194 Washington Street Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 845.473.1576

ThePalaceDiner.com

Saugerties Laundry 40 South Partition Street Saugerties, NY 12477 845.247.7255 SaugertiesLaundry.com

Cumberland Farms 97 Main Street Millerton, NY 12546 518.789.9060

CumberlandFarms.com

Be Fit Studio

GYMS

250 Main Street

Saugerties, NY 12477 845.616.7012

BeFitStudio.club Open 24 hours

Gold’s Gym 258 Titusville Road Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 845.463.4800 Goldsgym.com

IXL Health & Fitness 3139 Route 9W Saugerties, NY 12477 845.246.6700

IXLHealthAndFitness.com

LYF Fitness 209 Warren Street Hudson, NY 12534 518.929.2303 LyfFit.com

Signature Fitness 33 North Front Street Kingston, NY 12401 845.339-1661 SignatureFitness.org

Lenox Fit 90 Pitts eld Road Lenox, MA 01240 413.637.9893 LenoxFit.com

Berkshire Nautilus 42 Summer Street Pitts eld, MA 01201 413.499.1217

BerkshireNautilus.com Family-owned and family-run business established in 1989, this fullservice health club o ers the largest free weight oor in the Berkshires.

Determined Fitness 668 Dutchess Turnpike Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 845.485.8555

DeterminedFitness.com

car wash / detailing

HV Mobile Detailing

Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 845.844.0100

HVMobileDetailing.com An eco-friendly mobile detailing service covering the entire Hudson Valley, HV will send professional auto detailers to your home or workplace to perform top-notch services at your convenience.

Kurt’s Auto Spa 42 Crystal Street Lenox Dale, MA 01242 413.429.1195

KurtsAutoSpa.com

Golden Nozzle Car Wash 1050 South Street Pitts eld, MA 01201 413.464.9227

GoldenNozzleCarWash.com

Hoffman Car Wash 318 Fairview Avenue Hudson, NY 12534 518.828.5265 Ho manCarWash.com

Foam & Wash Car Wash 15 North Grand Avenue Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 845.485.3427 FoamAndWash.com

Allure Auto Spa 353 South Riverside Avenue Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520 914.862.4848

AllureAutoSpaCarWash.com

Uncle B’s Car Wash 404 Old Neighborhood Road Kingston, NY 12401 845.481.5043

Scrub-a-dub Car Wash 6 Boulevard Avenue Catskill, NY 12414 845.853.0045 ScrubadubNY.com

plumbers

F&F Plumbing and Heating 3 Westview Ter Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 845.505.4099

FFPlumbingandHeating.com

Lowe Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning 101 Smith Avenue Kingston, NY 12401 845.331.2480

Je LowePlumbing.com 24 Hour Service

Dells’ Plumbing Heating & AC 437 NY-295 Chatham, NY 12037 518.672.7068 DellsPlumbing.com

Chanowitz Family Plumbing & Heating 55 Old Mill Road Wallkill, NY 12589 845.564.4397

ChanowitzFamilyPlumbingAnd Heating.com

This plumbing and heating business is a real family a air, with brothers Mike and Chris Chanowitz providing a comprehensive array of services to the Ulster County area.

845 Plumbing 845.204.5916 845Plumbing.com Servicing Sullivan, Dutchess, Ulster Areas

Sinno ’s Plumbing & Heating 2003 NY-32 Saugerties, NY 12477 845.247.7330

SinnottsPlumbingAndHeating.com

Roberto Plumbing & Heating 10 Seaton Lane, Woodstock, NY 12498 845.679.9609

RobertoPlumbing.com

Pi sfield Pipers 73 4th Street Pitts eld, MA 01201 413.443.4402 Pitts eldPipers.com

by JAN KALLWEJT exclusively for The Mountains

Art

The Perfect Pause

Ican’t say with any accuracy how many times I’ve driven up and down the Taconic—from the City to the country, from the country to the City—but let’s agree that the number is staggering. Like other motorists on this schlep, for years I tended to stop for co ee or grub at the usual fast-food suspects—not because they’re good necessarily, but because they’re e cient and a known quantity; they’re good enough. I might have gone on for years in this way, inexplicably blowing by a pretty adorable little shop, Taste NY at the Todd Hill Service Station, until nally, on one such drive, I decided to stop.

By Renee

For one thing, Taste NY is as accessible as any Dunkin’ Donuts since, whether you’re traveling north- or southbound, it’s situated in the median of the parkway. You don’t have to get o For another, I realized upon entry that Taste NY in Todd Hill is special: Quaintly housed in a former gas station, its sole objective is to promote, support and showcase locally sourced food, beverages and gi s. With a very Upstate vibe—akin to a friendly, no-frills country store of yesteryear—it serves as a symbolic gateway of sorts, encapsuling all that’s best about our area. What fast food chain, I ask you, can boast that? And then there are the apple cider donuts. ’Nu said.

Other delectable o erings there include gourmet co ee and sandwiches, fresh produce and cider, cra beer, cheese and all kinds of farm-raised meats, chocolate chip cookies (a close second to the donuts), ice cream and honey, jam, pastries and granola, maple syrup, pickles and seasonal gi items. While the broad artisanal inventory changes periodically, it’s all curated from farms across the state and local, popular purveyors such as Chatham Brewing, Our Daily Bread and Harney & Sons Teas.

Taste NY, the brainchild of former Governor Andrew Cuomo, was launched in 2013 as a non-pro t initiative to promote New York farmers and businesses and to bring awareness to the state’s agritourism (there are now 69 stores in existence). Not unlike me, Cuomo o en found himself cruising down the parkway, in his case between Albany and New York City, and frequently passing a long vacant gas station which he rightly envisioned as an ideal spot for a Taste NY outpost.

fill ‘er up “The Todd Hill store is unique because of the historical structure it’s placed in,” says Lachele ConinxWiley. “It opened as a gas station in 1941 as part of FDR’s public works initiative, a er the Taconic Parkway was built.”

“The Todd Hill store is unique because of the historical structure it’s placed in,” says Lachele Coninx-Wiley of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County which operates the shop. “It opened as a gas station in 1941 as part of FDR’s public work initiative, shortly a er the Taconic Parkway was built. And because it’s so quaint and charming, it really draws the focus in and makes you feel like you’re in a warm gi shop that’s packed with interesting and relevant food and beverage items and textiles.” Put another way, Taste NY is still something of a fueling site, it’s just not your car that you’re fueling.

Taste NY on the Taconic is exactly what you need on the way to or from the City. Now, let’s talk about the apple cider donuts.

Jermaine

sullivancatskills

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